How Zelda Got Her Groove Back

by ZeldaRubix

Seven years after the events of Twilight Princess, Zelda is queen. However, she must right the wrongs of the past and help a broken hero heal. What lies ahead for the queen? She will be guided with the help of an unexpected friend. Reupload. Original upload May 2012.

45. Chapter 45

Inspirations: The Legend of Zelda; the fairy fountain theme; corny one liners lol; and inductive logic.

Original Shout Outs: Scarmiglone, Draining Thoughts, Andrea, Negiro, and Annimos.

Author's Note: The original from 2012-2015~ZR~.

Word Count: 19,247

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Chapter 45 (originally chapter 35)

Dragon Roost Impasse

How was this possible? How in the world could such an event take place right before my eyes with no fathomable explanation? The smoke had completely cleared now, and there standing before the brigade, was an apparition of the Hero of Skies. I wish I were kidding. The prodigy appeared just as the hero of old did, or what the hero of old would have appeared to be if he were alive as a young man today. The causation was frightening and uncanny. I deduced his visage was being used to incite fear and doubt in my men. And what would cause greater fear or cynicism than fighting a once victorious hero? Realizing definitively that this was the work of some otherworldly means, I had to caution my men to stay sharp to keep them composed. I prayed they wouldn't let their bravery fall to the wayside due to such a scheme, but given how things were going against us in this fight, I wasn't so sure. Even so, I couldn't let my own doubts seep through. I had to rally the soldiers together, even if it was for one last stand, for the sake of the country.

"Look beyond his face men!" I called out. "See him for what he truly is! You all know he is not the great hero of the past! This creature is a demon! A villain! A monster!"

Initially, I didn't get much of a response, and unfortunately I believe it was because the seeds of doubt were already starting to spread. I saw the eagerness in my men's faces, but things were quickly falling into disarray in the ranks. Some of the soldiers were even becoming vocal about it.

"What kind of evil is this?" they started whispering to each other. "How is it possible to shape shift and change in such a fashion?"

"How are we supposed to fight if we don't know what we're fighting against?" said a few more men from the back. "This is madness!"

Given the gravity of this situation, I couldn't disagree with that sentiment, but if this incident didn't settle quickly, there was going to be full-fledged mayhem ensuing. While this was all taking placed and seemingly amused by our growing dissension, the illusoryHero of Skysmirked snidely at our disoriented and discombobulated state, and unsheathed his version of a Master Sword. It was anything but masterful. However, he was going to use it to further his taunts.

"Stand down general," he directed to me, "as you can see, your men no longer have the will to fight. You can surrender now and I may even show your men mercy. Do what's best for them and you."

I scoffed at the notion.

"A creature like you knows nothing about mercy," I replied, "let alone granting it!"

The apparition just snickered.

"All you'll have to do is throw down your sword to see," he replied, "I'm an agreeable man."

There wasn't a chance in hell that that was happening.

"You're not a man at all!" I said.

All he did was grunt at my replies.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he provoked.

I wasn't going to lie, this situation was frustrating me. This was obviously an illusion orchestrated to incite lunacy. The only reason this monster chose this form of being was to undermine the confidence of my men. They were tired, weary, and spent from fighting, and acute psychosis was imminent with such conditions, but I couldn't let them give up. Half of a battle was a warrior's mental strength. If a soldier allowed their mind to be taken, they would lose no matter how strong they were physically. My men had to persevere. They had had to endure. They had to fight through the doubts this creature was presenting. We weren't going to give up. Surrender was not an option. I wanted to make my men remember that.

I made that the theme of my next rally.

"Think of your loved ones men!" I called back to them. "Think of your wives, your children, homes and your lives! Think of what Hyrule truly represents when you see bastards like this threaten to take that away from you!"

It took a moment, but my words seemed to have some affect. I went on.

"The queen, in all her grace and beauty, is out there somewhere fighting for us!" I continued. "Let us keep our resolve and fight for her! Fight for the freedom the hero brought us! Fight for our land! Fight for our lives! No matter what we do we must fight!"

The men in the front perked more from my speech and sat a little more erect. It was promising to see this. I knew that helping them maintain the bigger picture was the only way they were going to keep persevering. I then turned my attention back to the masquerader. I was going to show him, or whatever it was, that I was not afraid of him.

"And you… you'll get no such surrender from me!" I shouted. "As a knight of her majesty, Zelda Nohanseen of Hyrule, youu will be stopped this day! You are not permitted on the holy grounds of her kingdom! I swear to you on the land we are all standing on this day, that thiswillbe your final resting place!"

The fake hero may have only sneered at me, but my speech was having the necessary compliance on my men. They revived completely now.

"The general is right!" one of my soldiers close behind me stated. "We are men of her majesty's army! Surrender is not an option!"

A few more joined in.

"That's right!" they chimed in. "Never give up! Never surrender!"

The impostor scanned the crowd and merely groaned at the rallying.

"This is pathetic," he said more to himself than to me, "if you fools want to keep going with this silly endeavor that's fine by me. I'll make sure once you're all eradicated that your names are mentioned in the new history my lord is creating."

That statement and its implications caught me a little off guard.

New history?I thought suddenly.Your lord? What lord?

I tried not to make my befuddlement too apparent, but his words were obviously bothersome. Even so, I didn't let it show.

"It isyouwho will be mentioned in the history books!" I replied. "But only to serve as a warning for future adversaries!"

The fake hero only raised a brow.

"You haven't shown much so far," he replied, "but I will entertain you general. If you insist on dying, we will commence at your ready."

I was not about to give up her majesty's lands without a fight. I narrowed my eyes at the apparition.

"The 'ready' is now! En guard!" he said. "Men of Hyrule attack!"

~SSS~

Hyrule Field

"Link?" I whispered to myself.

I was well aware that the man now standing in front of us was not Link... at least not the Link I knew. However, he did unfortunately resemble a hero, just not any recent hero, and definitely not my hero. This person looked a great deal like the Hero of Time, or what I had been told he looked like. I didn't understand what was going on or why this was even possible, but it made me wonder what was really at play here. A ploy from Ghirahim? Another trick from the great trickster perhaps? What was it? Even with the confirmation of him not really being the dragon prince, it only added to the speculation to who, or what, he really was. Then, of course, there was that arcane reference to the Hylian Paradox... 'all Hylians are liars'. What did that mean? Why was that being mentioned now? How was all this going to play out? Only the conclusion of this matter would tell.

I remained focused, as I was still conjuring a force field of protection for the general, his men, and myself. The Twili barrier refracted at several different areas of the dome, allowing the shield to be manipulated any way I saw fit. However, I could only maintain it for so long before I needed to recuperate. That, coupled with the extended exposure of the yellow sunlight, was going to be an eventual problem. I had light sickness before when I was hit heavily from the once possessed Lanayru, and only Zelda's sacrifice saved me. I wasn't going to have access to such a second chance if I slipped up in the here and now again. I had to sustain myself and remember my limits for the sake of everyone present. That fact was especially important in less than ideal situations like these. We were going to need to approach this battle differently, but how? That question beckoned an answer because now the Hyrulean army was stalled by the unexpected appearance of this... this person. Confusion was already starting to take root in the cavalry.

"What's going on here?" a few whispered to each other.

"Isn't that his former majesty, the king of Hyrule?" a few more spoke up.

With the growing realization, the dissension quantified within the crowd.

"I think it is!" another soldier said surprised.

"It can't be!" one man whispered to another. "I thought he was dead!"

Maxmilion, no doubt hearing the discord and dissension, immediately interjected. He couldn't allow his brigade to become disconsolate senselessly. That would be the beginning of defeat.

"Don't be ridiculous!" the general demanded. "Of course he's dead! You just saw what took place only a moment ago. This creature isnota former sovereign of Hyrule! It's just a magician's trick to get you side tracked! Stay focused! We will defeat them! We are men of Hyrule!"

I appreciated the general's attempts, but sighed and kept my eyes fixed on the chameleon at the fore. This was not going to be a battle easily won.

TheHero of Timesimply stared down Maximillion and grinned intrepidly.

"It's time you surrendered general," he said, "you'll only spare yourself a miserable defeat if you put your arms down now."

Maximillion narrowed his eyes at the apparition in response.

"Prepare yourself monster!" he replied. "I don't give up so easily. I, nor any of my men."

TheHero of Timescoffed and his smirk widened, then at the general's bidding, he unsheathed hisMaster Sword. The bow and arrow the former proctor was using was gone. I took note of that because it meant a change in battle tactics.

A different means,I thought,he's choosing close range combat as opposed to the long range like before. Why the change?

I kept my guard up as the conversation between the apparition and the general continued.

"Just remember you were warned," the specter said to Maximillion. "Very well, let's see what you…menof Hyrule are made of."

The general held his sword forward and didn't hesitate at the taunt.

"Reengage men, and wait for my command!" Maximillion called.

I stayed back and felt a surge or foreboding in my gut. Something told me there was more going on here than what was currently understood.

Don't be rash Maximillion,I thought, with unease deepening,it was only a moment ago that you and your men suffered a push back. We're going to have to come up with a different strategy to defeat these monsters, but the question is: how? How are we going to do this?

~SSS~

The Underground City of Hyrule: Shad's POV

Lydia and I were looking at the captured Zelvious in complete surprise, but it wasn't his apprehension that had us so dumbstruck. It was unfortunately his captor. The phantom was no longer with his other appearance. Now he looked exactly like one of the great kings of old, he looked likeDaphnes I.

What kind of evil is this that it can shift and change at bay this way?I thought.What are we truly fighting? What are we truly up against? Why did it choose his majesty Prince Elbourne's form first before this one? Why is it making cryptic references to the phrase 'all Hylians are liars'? What is truly going on here?

My inquiries were going to go unanswered with the present state of the general being the top priority. Zelvious was not an easy man to fell. Whoever this was was a considerable foe and it would make sense that he chose the current form he was in to substantiate that. I had to figure out some way to help Zelvious and quickly, but how?

Lydia was still taken in by his appearance.

"He looks just like one of the former kings of old," she whispered, "her majesty, Queen Zelda, has a picture of her great grandfather in her chambers, and this creature looks just like."

I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't let your eyes fool you lady Lydia, you know as well as I that he isn't a former king," I reassured, "he's using the kings form to commence a power play."

Even though she knew what I was saying to be true, Lydia still shook her head in disbelief at what she was seeing.

"Even so my lord, how is this possible?" she asked.

I had no answer for her, and now certainly wasn't a time to show fear. We needed our wits about us to manufacture what we were going to do next.

"We can't worry about that," I said, "right now we need to figure out a way to stop him."

My words seemed to help ground her a little more as she responded with a nod. She then turned to look at me.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked.

I was deducing my plan in real time at the moment. This was a work in progress. I quickly scanned the perimeter and spotted a torque mechanism that held a low hanging chandelier in place. If one of us could get over to the torque to disband the chandelier, we may have been able to stop him.

"I think I have an idea," I whispered, "stay close."

Lydia looked at me puzzled for a moment, but said nothing. In the interim, while we were concocting our plans, Zelvious was still in grave danger. He was far from out of the mire even though we were now setting things into motion to get him out. We needed some kind of stalling mechanism to keep the monster from eradicating him preemptively. I just wasn't sure what or how I was going to make that happen. However, Zelvious must have been studying my mannerisms and read into my facial expression. He knew that I was conjuring up something, because he suddenly gave me a look stating he would buy Lydia and I some time. That was a little ironic considering he was the one in immediate danger. Even still, I gave him a slight head nod, and the general acknowledged it. Afterwards, Zelvious let his main focus be the prodigy and he began speaking to him.

"What is your purpose here?" Zelvious demanded.

The specter smirked.

"It's very simple really," he began, "we just want the destruction of Hyrule."

What else was new? I never understood villains and their grandiose claims for power. Did they want to rule over a graveyard? What was the point in that? I would never understand that line of thinking, never.

"Do you just want corpses for servants?" the general barked. "What kind of rationale is that?"

The apparition grunted.

"I never expect Hylians to understand what they have no concept of," he replied. "Your concept of what can be considered asubjectfor a kingdom is very linear. There is much glory in death. There is much beauty in the hallowed grounds of despair. You Hylians only see the light, when the darkness is equally provocative, and as such, I will give your men the opportunity to see thenewworld my master is creating. All you have to is surrender and you will witness it firsthand."

Zelvious scoffed.

"You're insane! You want good decent people to surrender to meaningless bloodshed and slavery?" he said. "Hylians never surrender! Never!"

AgainDaphnes Igrunted at the general's words.

"Very well," he said, "if that is your stance, but perhaps your men will have a change of heart when they witness me killing you in front of them. Perhaps they won't be so ungracious as their fearless leader."

Some of the men reacted to that which I couldn't blame them. There was no way all of them were going to stand there and watch their captain die.

"General let us intervene!" one soldier said immediately.

"I concur!" another one replied. "I will not stand here and see you perish!"

Zelvious readied to calm his men, seeing that if they intervened prematurely it would only do more harm than good..

"You all know what to do when the time comes," he said abruptly.

That statement made my ears perk.

What is he talking about?I wondered all of a sudden.Is he considering...

My thoughts trailed and I let the matter go for now when I realized Lydia was waiting for me.

Lydia however was in fear of the general's life like the rest of his men. Her eyes widened at Zelvious's words and she quickly took hold of my arm.

"Whatever it is your planning we have to do it now!" she whispered. "I fear for the general's life!"

As did I, but I knew much of how these situations ended were dependent on how they began. And if we weren't careful in how we proceeded next, Zelvious was surely going to suffer for it. I took Lydia to the side for a moment where the men unintentionally made a cover for us, then pulled a hunting knife from a holster in my boot and handed it to her. Lydia took the knife, but didn't hide her befuddlement with what she was supposed to do with it.

"Why are you giving me this?" she asked.

I immediately nodded towards the ceiling.

"I need for you to cut the rope to the chandelier across the chasm," he explained, "it should fall and create enough of a diversion for Zelvious to free himself. You'll get across easier because you're small and slender enough not to be seen."

Lydia hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement showing she understood. However, she showed her nerves momentarily when she verbalized her worries.

"What happens if I'm not successful?" she asked.

I don't have a plan 'B' at the moment,I thought.

I took hold of Lydia by the shoulders and attempted to reassure her.

"You're our best chance at this, I know you can do it," I whispered to her, "you work directly under the queen. Zelda trusts you implicitly for a reason. I have that same trust in you. If you can't do it then no one in here will be able to replace you."

Lydia looked at me very soberly just then.

"No one else will be able to…?" she repeated.

I nodded.

"You have to find a way," I replied.

She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a few seconds of contemplation Lydia opened her eyes and looked firm in her resolve. That small pep talk seemed to do the trick.

"You're right," she replied, "I can do this, I have to. Show me which way to go."

Grateful that she was willing to put herself out there, I directed her to an inconspicuous path underneath some bedrock where she and I were previously lying down on the ground. There was an opening on the other side that led straight to the ropes holding up the chandelier. The pathway was on the perimeter and was covered partially by cracked boulders which made cover for it more accessible.

"Stay along the wall and underneath boulders," I whispered, "don't attempt it if it becomes too dangerous, but if you manage to get out the other side unscathed the candle is right next to your opening."

Lydia nodded after my instructions.

"I'll be careful," she reassured.

"Please be sure of that," I emphasized, "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. We're counting on you."

At this point Lydia was already down on her hands and knees.

"I know!" she whispered. "I'll hurry!"

With that, Lydia took off and hurried along the pathway behind the first set of boulders to be unseen. I watched after her, trying to conceal my worry.

I don't know what we're going to do after you get to the other side lady Lydia,I thought,but you have to be successful, you just have to.

~SSS~

Ordon Bridge: Colin's POV

Colin, Talo, and Rusl looked on stunned as theHero of Twilightwas now staring down at them. Colin was completely taken aback at what he was seeing.

Link…he thought with a trail,what in Hylia's name is going on here?

It wasn't just Colin who was dumbstruck, but everyone in the caravan was temporarily speechless. How was anyone to account for such an occurrence as this? The Ordonians were simple farmers who lived simple lives. Conjurings such as these were what they read about in legends and story books. Even so, this was happening and they were right in the thick of it. Colin had to quickly think back to all the tutoring that Link provided him in combat. Knowing one's enemy was the key to victory, but how was Colin supposed to know one such as this? How was this even possible? And with this being the case, was the real Link alright? These same contemplations went through Colin's head.

Why in the world did this -whatever it is- change into Link?he thought.Why did he mention that phrase that 'all Hylians are liars?' And why does it seem that father already knows what that saying means? Who is this?

Talo and Colin were apparently sharing the same thought process, because Talo was just as inquisitive as Colin.

"What is going on here you demon? Is that what you meant by all Hylians are liars?" Talo demanded. "You keep switching bodies because you can't make up your mind who the hell you want to be?!"

It was a bold blunt assertion on the youth's behalf, but it certainly wasn't needed at the moment.

Talo you have got to learn to control your impetuous nature,Colin thought,that kind of talk can get you killed.

The young tactician had an ephiphany just then. It was in that moment Colin realized he was thinking just like Master Link. It was bound to happen with him being his protégé and all. Colin admired the hero and looked up to him a great deal, and since Link wasn't present, he knew he was going to have to step up. He knew he was going to have to be his father's right hand. True, the young lad was previously, but that was only because he acted presumptuously without any forethought. If Colin stood back and analyzed the situation the way Link taught him to over the years, he could figure out what made this monster tick and how to defeat him.

It's time to see if all that training has paid off,the youth thought,I can't be reckless.

Just then, the so calledHero of Twilightgrinned at Talo's spirited speech and decided to answer.

"The words are whatever you want to make of them young one," he said, "I could be referencing one thing or a million things. It makes no difference to me. I merely brought it up because for whatever reason it is supposed to have a storied significance to you."

Colin looked at the impersonator with open suspicion suddenly.

What?he wondered perplexed.Storied significance?What does he mean by that?He then turned to his father who apparently knew what the apparition was talking about.If father knows something, now would be the time to share it.

Rusl was already up on his feet with his sword drawn.

"Don't listen to him son!" he said. "I want you to stand down! I'll take it from here!"

However, even with his father's command Colin was hesitant to obey. He wasn't going to stand and see his father get killed, but with what just happened, he did need to be cautious. He also needed to think about how his reckless behavior would reflect on Talo and Malo. There was no telling what they would do if he pulled a stunt like he did earlier.

I'll bide my time and wait,Colin thought,if it becomes necessary then I'll intervene.

"Alright father," Colin answered finally and stepped back. He went to help Talo to his feet and directed him. "Go back to the wagon, and stay there."

Talo looked at Colin taken aback.

"Are you crazy?" he demanded. "There is no way you and Rusl can-"

"Go back!" Colin interrupted in a stern voice, knowing this wasn't the time for grandstanding. "Now!"

Talo looked at his friend surprised, but felt compelled to do as he was told. He didn't understand why, but there was something in Colin's tone that he didn't want to challenge, a conviction and authority perhaps. It reminded Talo of Master Link.

"Fine," Talo said with open reluctance, "but if anything goes down I'm not hesitating to jump in."

Colin didn't answer him right away, but nodded his acknowledgement.

"You won't be the only one," he replied honestly.

Meanwhile, in the rear of the bridge Ilia looked on astonished with her mouth covered.

"Link?" she whispered in disbelief. "What is he talking about? Why is he mentioning that strange phrase about Hylians?"

Beth was quick to reprimand her. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"That isn't Link Ilia," she reassured, "whoever that is, is using Link's visage to try and trick us, and I have no idea what that means. It could be anything like he said."

Ilia heard what her friend's reasoning, but was too preoccupied with her own fixation to reply. "Why does he look like that?"

Beth held her friend's hand secure. "I have no idea."

Colin heard the crux of their conversation.

That's what we all want to know Ilia,he thought,and I have a feeling as the day progresses we're about to find out.

Back at the fore, Colin was still engaged in his battle stance behind his father, while Talo, watching from his knew position, took several steps back onto the bridge.

"If we're going to do this, we need to step away from the bridge to a clearing where it is just you and me!" Rusl demanded of the apparition. "There is no need to endanger everyone here!"

TheHero of Twilightmerely smirked at the notion.

"Why do you think I'm here?" he asked rhetorically. "To bring peace? Master Rusl if you want to fight me we are going to fight as we are, where we are." He then turned his attention to Colin, "unless...youwould like to be my opponent once more instead."

Colin looked at the apparition stunned by the outright challenge. "What?"

Rusl turned his head and looked at his son in his periphery.

"Don't even think about it!" his father snapped.

Colin immediately reengaged his father.

"Papa what are we-?" he tried.

"Don't engage him at all!" he interrupted. "I mean it Colin! That's what he wants!"

TheHero of Twilightnever took his gaze off the fledging youth and narrowed his eyes. "You still think you can beat me, don't you... boy?"

If there was anything that could needle the young impervious man it was incessant taunting.

Colin narrowed his eyes furiously at the way the apparition addressed him.

"Boy?" he whispered to himself.

Rusl knew that was the creature's way of tricking him.

"Colin!" his father snapped. "I told you to stand down! That's my order! Do not advance any farther!"

Colin's breathing began to quicken.

"The only man who can address me in such a way is my father!" he replied to the apparition ignoring his father. "I am not yourboy!"

"Colin!" Rusl snapped again. "That's enough!"

The youth cut his eyes back to his father.

That's enough alright!the young student thought.He's giving me a direct challenge, and father wants me to just ignore it? Impossible!

"I will act as your back up father when the time comes for it," Colin told Rusl.

TheHero of Twilightsmirked.

"Afraid to fight me yourself Master Colin?" he demanded. "Still struggling with your inferiority complex?"

Colin gripped his sword unduly, and felt a surge of disquieted anger. "Inferiority complex?" he repeated through gritted teeth.

Realizing he hit a nerve, the apparition unsheathed hisMaster Sword.

"Tell your father to stand aside," he said, "you're the one I want to fight Master Colin."

Rusl's eyes widened at the request.

"Absolutely not!" he demanded. "I'm your opponent! You will fight me!"

TheHero of Twilightwas looking beyond Rusl at his son.

"You no longer have a choice in the matter," he divulged to the middle aged swordsman, then addressed Colin once more, "you either fight me Master Colin, or I'll kill your father in front of you and the entire village; your stand, your choice."

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the back.

"Rusl!" Uli his wife said in alarm.

Colin's father narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Rusl demanded. "That's quite a boast! We'll see if you can kill me!"

TheHero of Twilghtwas no longer paying attention to Rusl, his focus was completely on Colin.

"The choice is yours," he said, "I'd decide quickly if I were you."

Colin swallowed hard and looked at his father stationed in front of him.

What choice do I have?he demanded of himself.If I dosomethingfather might be killed. If I donothingfather might be killed. This is a lose lose situation!

"It's settled," Colin replied finally, "I am your opponent."

Rusl's eyes widened at his son's words.

"No son!" he said angrily, turning to look at him. "I will not allow it! I told you to stand down!"

Colin looked at his father's worried face. "I'm afraid that isn't your call any longer as the apparition stated."

I won't watch you die father,Colin thought.

Rusl was insistent. "Colin you will not-"

"Stand down father," the young man interrupted.

Rusl's breathing quickened. "Colin-"

"I said stand down!" Colin interrupted more forceful. "We don't have time for this!"

Rusl looked at his son shocked, and didn't move.

Seeing that this was harder for his father than it was for him, Colin simply got in front of Rusl and initiated his guard stance.

I won't let you down,Colin thought,but this is my fight now.

TheHero of Twilightextended his sword readying his engagement. "At your commencing master Colin," he said to him.

Colin felt his heart pounding at the sight of the foe in front of him. This enemy represented everything Colin wanted to overcome: his insecurities, his stance as a man, and the need to feel and know he was good enough.

"I'm ready," Colin said, and then went to attack.

~SSS~

The Arbiter's Grounds

"Link!" I called out in slight panic, getting from behind Elbourne and running towards the hero once more. "Pull the sword from Ghirahim's body! Pull it! He's using it to call his master!"

Link looked over at me surprised regarding my pleas.

"What?!" he demanded.

I had no time to rightly explain.

"Take it out!" I called out again, hurrying towards him. "He's calling Demise! The substantiation is happening as we speak!"

The scaly limb was made more apparent the more the purple and black energy traversed the room. Elbourne again hurried towards me to stop me, but I quickly stopped myself to halt his advance. If there was anyone that was in danger of this situation it was him.

"I understand your concern for me, but please Elbourne, you must stay back!" I cautioned. "You must! Remember what Hylia told you! Ghirahim may try to use you or kill you!"

However, the dragon prince didn't seem to care if it intervened with my safety.

"Zelda-" Elbourne tried anyway.

"Please don't fight me on this!" I interrupted. "Stay back!"

Elbourne must have heard the conviction in my statement because he finally paused his advance at my words, not willingly of course, but more as a caution. With that, I hurried as quickly as I could towards Link. I went to help him pull the blade from Ghirahim's body. The longer it stayed embedded inside him, the more credence it gave the purge taking place. Somehow, some way Ghirahim took a situation where he was in a perpetual state of defense and used it to his advantage. In the interim, Link and I were now pulling with all our might to get the sword extracted from the demon lord's chest. I wasn't going to pretend this wasn't difficult or incredibly terrifying, but I wasn't going to be overwhelmed by the anxiety of this situation either. Just then, another scaly limb came forth from the sword. I was shocked by how quickly the monster was manifesting, but Link and I did have the blade about half way out now.

Come on! Give damn it!I thought through clenched teeth.

I was still pulling with the hero. However, another problem Link and I had to take in consideration was what was going to happen when the sword was completed extracted from Ghirahim. Was Ghirahim going recover quickly? Was his state weakened enough that he could be overpowered? Was he going to be swift in his insurrection? One thing was for certain, if the demon lord could manage it, he was going to try to once again put Elbourne back under his control and attempt to finish the purge by killing the dragon prince. However, if what ancestral father told me was true, my blood letting may actually have hindered the substantiation from happening more quickly. Demise may have not been able to get completely through because the blood of the goddess was smeared on the Master Sword. It was unintentionally acting as a barrier. Even so, I still wasn't completely sure by what the Hero of Skies meant about my being able to help Elbourne in the same instance. If anything, it seemed more dangerous to have him remotely close to Ghirahim.

I can't let that happen,I thought determined,I can't let him near you Elbourne.

However, I knew my thoughts suffered from the reality that we were down one very important ally, ancestral mother.

What happened to you Hylia?I couldn't help but wonder.Why did you take the risk knowing you could disappear?

I was hoping in some way she would answer me in her quirky fashion, but I didn't count on it. I didn't have that luxury at this time. I couldn't allow my mind to wander. I had to stay focused on the task at hand, but I wasn't going to lie, I was beginning to feel the weight of it all. Even so, finally, with an extra exerted jolt, Link and I were able to pull the remnants of the blade from Ghirahim's body. With the extraction, the purging abated immediately, and the black and purple electrical currents stopped generating from the open wound in the demon lord's chest. Even with our success we still weren't out of danger. Link quickly took hold of me around the waist and hurried me away from the area. Ghirahim's retaliation was going to be swift and we had to be ready for it.

Whatever the demon lord has in store now we have no choice but to be ready for it,I thought,if not, Hylia's disappearance and the fight my men are exacting outside will have been in vain. It will have been for nothing at all.

~SSS~

Snow Peak Mountains: Ashei's POV

Unfortunately there was tension in the air, but that couldn't be helped considering the circumstances. This young woman was garnering information from my children and seemed to know about my late husband. I wanted to know what was going on for her to have an interest in him or her connections with Link. I wasn't going to pretend that this was at all what I was expecting, but now it was a situation I needed to deal with. What if this woman was a former spy? What if her good nature was a front and she was willing to turn on us at the slightest of provocation? It was true I didn't innately feel any of those things from her because she did seem like a nice lady, but looks were often deceiving. Even so, I wasn't still completely convinced I didn't trust her either. I was on the fence and it was confusing more because children had taken a quick liking to her. Now, I was confronting her expecting some kind of explanation for all of her mysterious behavior.

"Are you going to start talking?" I asked.

Mystere was hesitant and looked around the room at my children, all with their eyes glued to her.

"Mommy…" my Aura trailed, "I don't like it when you're upset."

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Mommy would be less inclined to be upset if your new friend here answered some questions," I replied, not taking my eyes off the young woman.

Mystere still remained quiet, but she was incredibly cautious with how she proceeded next. She stood up slowly and hesitated before she made any action at all. My guard was still up, but the look on her face inadvertently softened my heart. There was something about this woman that seemed so familiar, but I couldn't understand why, and I could see a sadness in her eyes when she looked at my children. Like there was a history there that she couldn't reveal.

"Perhaps…" she started finally, "perhaps it would be better if I left."

I looked at her surprised. I wasn't expecting her to take flight.

"Mystere, you know that's silly," I reassured, "the next outpost is a day from here by foot. You won't survive the freezing temperatures with just your goods. No one is turning you away, I just want some answers."

She looked to the ground and pursed her lips together.

"I'm afraid I have none to give you my lady," she whispered.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

That phrasing was very definite.

"Mystere…" I trailed, "please, why are you so terrified? Is someone after you or something?"

Even my children went to comfort her.

"It's okay Mystere," Bastion stated, "mommy is good about keeping secrets."

"Yeah, she won't tell anybody," my second son added.

At our wording, she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"It's nothing like that," she said to all of us, "I just…"

Her trail was leading to something specific.

"You just?" I continued for her.

Her eyes widened suddenly and she seemed very nervous just then.

"Please… if you knew my past you never have me in the presence of your dear sweet children," she whispered, "I'm a mired person."

That put me on guard. That could mean anything.

"So why don't you tell me?" I asked anyway.

She looked away and that was when I saw fit to dismiss my children for a moment. I needed to get to the bottom of this.

"I want you guys to go to the other room," I ordered, "give me and Mystere a few moments to talk, okay?"

My children were completely against the request.

"But mommy-" they all tried in unison.

I wasn't having it right now.

"No 'buts'," I interrupted them firmly and pointed to the other room, "go."

They all sighed and looked disappointed that they were going to be out of the loop of the secret of their new found friend. However, it was something serious I did not want them to be exposed to whatever she was going to divulge. They were reluctant, but eventually all three of them followed mandate. When Mystere and I were alone my guard didn't fall, but she did seem more relaxed now that the children weren't in our presence. Her secret very well may have been something that she thought was going to sully their impression of her.

"Well?" I asked when the silence prolonged.

Mystere sighed and sat back down when.

"I guess there's no other way to say it other than to say it," she said quietly, "the reason I'm so cautious is because… because I escaped from working at a brothel house some time ago."

I looked at her surprised, but more so by the implications that such an occupation entailed than anything.

"A brothel house?" I repeated quietly.

She nodded and said nothing.

There was a brief silence between us, but I wanted to reassure her that I didn't think lowly of her because she once did such work. Many women were often forced into that life because they had no other choices, and with how extraordinarily beautiful she was, and possibly with no family support, I could see how evil people would want to come and exploit her.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," I said quietly, "I imagine life must have been very hard for you."

Her eyes filled with tears involuntarily just then.

"Thank you for saying that," she whispered.

Even so, my heart raced a little bit. This could mean so many things with how she knew certain people, especially a certain hero and my late husband.

"Is… is that how you know Master Link?" I asked softly.

She didn't reply right away. In fact, she just swallowed hard and nodded.

My eyes widened slightly.

"Were… were you two lovers?" I couldn't help but ask.

She looked up at me and quickly shook her head no.

"No," she promised, "no it was nothing like that. He was always just a kind man looking to help free as many women as he could from that life. He was the one who put a stop to the former madam there and helped me get free. She was a horrible vicious woman who did terrible things to the girls she was jealous of. It's just that life has been hard ever since my leaving. I know this may sound strange, but I had some stability there and I made some good friends. When I lost contact with the hero, I carved a life out for myself in the forest. It took me years to forgive myself for being the person I was, but I was always grateful to him for being a decent, kind person willing to help."

That definitely sounded like Link. He was always thinking about others. Even after Bastion died he would come and check on me and the children.

"You don't have to continually beat yourself up because of your past," I said, "that's over, and what's done is done. You seem like a very kind person who's just had it hard. Have you thought of going to the refugee program at Hyrule Castle? They have rehabilitation services and work programs for unfortunate women."

Mystere looked to the ground when I mentioned the castle.

"It's absolutely impossible for me to go to Hyrule," she whispered without giving much else.

I studied her for a moment.

"Why?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I just can't go," she replied, "but I do have some options once this crisis blows over. A… a friend of mine told me to come to him if I needed anything. I might just take him up on that."

I raised a brow and finally sat down next to her. She wouldn't look at me, but I sensed her unease of the subject so I went to allay it.

"Look," I started, "you're welcome to accompany me and my children back to Hyrule Castle once this is all over if you need someone to help you get started. I have some contacts there, and I even know the queen herself. I'm sure I could put in a good word for you if you need it."

When she heard about my contact with Zelda she seemed even more anxious.

"That-that won't be necessary," she insisted, "I could never meet the queen. I'd be considered trash in her presence."

I shook my head.

"You couldn't be more wrong about her," I explained, "I too thought at one time that she would be stuffy and callous, but she's actually very kind and empathetic. I think if you spoke with her you'd be surprised at what you might find out about her."

She was quiet at my words and said cryptically to herself, "She would be surprised too."

That was telling, but I didn't press the subject. She seemed so adamant.

"So what do you say?" I asked.

Mystere sighed.

"I'll… I'll think about," she said honestly, "I can't promise you anything, you have your own little ones to look after."

"Please do," I replied, "you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't."

She just nodded.

There was another silence that followed, but I was a bit weary of one point she touched on but didn't expand upon: her knowing my husband in some way. I just hoped it wasn't in theobviousway.

"Do you mind if I ask you a rather personal question besides what you revealed to me already?" I asked.

Mystere finally looked over at me, and again I couldn't get over how much she looked like the queen. It was truly uncanny.

"I suppose so," was all she replied.

I took in a deep sigh and just hoped for the best.

"Did you know a man by the name of Bastion when you worked in the Red Lantern District?" I asked directly. "If you did, and you had some kind of relationship with him, please know that I'm not angry. I understood that he had a past before me."

She looked me straight in the eyes and didn't flinch.

"No," she said instantly, "I've never had an inappropriate relationship with a man named Bastion. In fact, I never entertained anyone intimately by that name."

I was surprised with how forthcoming she was with that, but it could have been to save grace.

"I assure you that I wouldn't be upset," I promised.

"And I assure you that never such an occurrence happened," she replied, "ever."

It was in that moment I couldn't shake the feeling. Why did she react the way she did when she heard Bastion's name?

"Then why were you so surprised when you found out my son was named after a man named Bastion?" I couldn't help but ask. "You seemed genuinely taken aback."

Mystere hesitated with her answer, but not for long.

"I was," she said.

I was slightly taken aback with how casually she said that.

"Why?" I asked.

She sighed.

"It just made me think of my own late brother," she said quietly.

That was a revelation to me.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," I said sincerely, "was his name Bastion also?"

Mystere turned from looking at me just then and shook her head.

"No," she whispered with a slight break in her voice, "no his name wasn't Bastion."

The sadness was laced all throughout her voice.

I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"If you don't mind my asking," I started, "what was your brother's name?"

She paused for a very long time before she answered. She seemed lost in her thoughts now. She took in a deep sigh and turned to look at me.

"My brother's name was… was Daphnes," she said quetly.

~SSS~

Arbiter's Grounds

As we got into a more favored position, Link acted as a guard and stood in front of me, manning the Master Sword. I huddled close behind him, wanting him to draw more distance for himself, because there was no telling what was going to happen now. Things were going to get very ugly very quickly. We had to figure out a way to stop him. We had to proceed with caution.

When the reverberations from Ghirahim's chest eventually subsided, a loud, almost deafening scream broke the sound barrier. The three of us had to cover our ears momentarily to withstand it. The demon lord was laying prostrate on the ground where he had been impaled almost in agony, but for only a moment. When the moment passed, he stood up suddenly by jumping to his feet and cracking his neck in anger, and once again his appearance changed. The hole in the monster's chest was wide and serrated at the edges, showing a hollow like window into his body. It was insanely ghastly. The varicosities on his face deepened and went from yellow to dark orange. The demon lord's eyes were still opaquely white, and his countenance was more menacing than ever. In short, he looked angry as hell that we stopped his exorcism. I could only imagine what he was contemplating.

What is he going to do now?I wondered.

As if in tandem with my thoughts, Ghirahim snapped his fingers and a large, rectangular, crystalline-like sword appeared in his hands. The sword's hues were beige, brown, and orange, with a heavy metal tang down the center, keeping the crystals that surrounded it centralized. The diamond shaped fixtures looked durable, but they didn't look completely fortified. If I was able to recognize the weapon's discrepancies, I knew Link was able to as well.

If Link hits the blade just right at the right angle, then he may be able to destroy some of the crystals attached to it,I thought.

I took a few steps back, trying to come up with a contingency plan to create a diversion. However, it was that moment I looked over and remembered Elbourne. I paused for a moment realizing the situation was made more convoluted with him as a sleeping threat. Ghirahim could take control of the dragon prince at any given moment, and with Hylia gone, it was completely on Link and me to stop the demon lord.

Elbourne was completely aware of what his added presence to this situation could mean, and proceeded cautiously. He was hesitant about joining Link and me, though I could see he desperately wanted to, and his hesitation was of good cause. The dragon prince knew of the possibility of us fighting him once more. The hero also being cognizant of this turned his attention to the dragon prince.

"You have to stay back!" Link warned. "It's nothing against you personally Elbourne, but I can't take any chances!"

Elbourne gave no argument.

"I understand," he said, "but even still, I will try my best to protect Zelda!"

The dragon prince's devotion to me felt almost legendary at this point. I couldn't believe he was still thinking about my welfare over his own when he was in the greatest danger of the three of us. It made me compelled to find some way to help him. There had to be some way to break Ghirahim's curse on him. It made me contemplate ancestral father's words once again.

"If you want to save the world and your friend… then you must trust that evils bane after a bloodletting will help your and his life sustain…"his voice echoed through my mind.

How was any of that supposed to happen? I certainly couldn't think of anything right now, but I also wanted to keep those words in mind as things got a little darker.

Link was still more cautious than me regarding the dragon prince, and only nodded at his words, knowing he was sincere, but still didn't break his stance.

"Right," he replied.

Our attention then averted back to Ghirahim. At this point, he wasn't as strong as he once was with the breaking of his power crystal. He looked more menacing, but the evil's bane had weakened him substantially. Even so, because he was now in a more erratic state, it didn't mean the monster still didn't have a trick or two up his sleeve. I had to remember to utilize my power like when I was in his capture. I had to make full use of the Triforce, but in those past dark moments it just to me. How was I supposed to conjure it now?

Close by, Elbourne readied his axe and engaged Ghirahim to the left of Link and me. It was a gamble watching Elbourne proceed this way, but he was willing to put himself out there to show his loyalty. In return, however, the demon lord merely stared the prince down and stretched out his hand towards him. Before any of us could react, Ghirahim shot another wave of pulsar energy towards the dragon prince, sending him flying backwards into a wall. Unfortunately, the force was so great that Elbourne was immediately knocked unconscious. The dragon prince's body slumped to the floor unmoving, but I was grateful to see that he was still breathing. Even so, I realized something just then about Ghirahim's attack, it had regressed back to the energy level instituted when he first escaped the mirror, which possibly meant that Ghirahim could no longer take control of Elbourne's mind.

Maybe he lost so much power from to the Master Sword, that his ability of mind control over Elbourne has been completely compromised,I thought.If that is the case, we have to capitalize on that finding now.

Throughout the ordeal, Link never broke his stance, even after seeing what just happened to his sometimes adversarial colleague. Afterwards, Ghirahim took several steps forward, but then stopped from fully engaging us because he was planning something else.

What now?I wondered.

His expression was unreadable.

"You think you stopped me?" the demon lord retorted angrily all of a sudden. "You think I won't revive my master? You are sorely mistaken! You can consider what you did as a temporary setback!"

He then raised his arm again, but instead of attacking like we assumed, a strange manifestation was taking place. A cloud of dust, mist, and particles suddenly emitted throughout the vault, creating a concentrated substantiation of matter.

What in the world?I thought.

I had no idea what was going on.

Link covered his eyes and slowly backed the both of us up away from the manifestation.

"Stay back!" he ordered. "Donotmake any rash moves! We're all we've got right now!"

I understood the needed emphasis on reminding me of that. I couldn't be reckless where I needlessly placed danger on the both of us. Hylia was gone, Elbourne was temporarily incapacitated, and I was his only back up. I couldn't go doing what I did before with the earlier impalement. It was too much of a risk.

"I know!" I called out over the increasing acoustic waves from the particulation.

The cloud of dust was growing ever larger, shifting and swaying before our eyes. I quickly looked over at Elbourne to see if he was alright. He was still situated presumptuously, which was at least a comforting sign. I turned my attention back to the cloud, when suddenly a moving scene from within in bore forth before our eyes. I couldn't believe it.

"My word!" I couldn't help but whisper.

My eyes widened when I realized what the scene was. It was a clear moving picture of General Gunter right now, engaged in combat. He was fighting with all his gumption to turn the tide. However, his fighting wasn't the surprising spectacle. The surprising aspect of this picture was his opponent. The person taking the lead of the opposing army looked just like the Hero of Sky. I couldn't pretend I wasn't riddled with confusion by seeing that.

Ancestral father?I thought bewildered.

Link verbalized his perplexity as well.

"What the hell?" the hero muttered, but then took a few steps back as the scene changed once again in real time.

As the sands shifted, this time it showed a scene of Midna with General Maximillion, fighting another opponent who had a strange familiarity to my grandfather the Hero of Time. I felt my heart race and breath quicken when I realized the recurring theme here.

"What in Hylia's dear name…?" I whispered. "Grandfather?"

Link heard my apparent confusion, but didn't reply to it. He kept looking on the same as I. The sands and mist swayed and swirled again, this time to a moving scene of the underground sanctuary city, where General Zelvious was apparently being apprehended by someone who looked like my great grandfather Daphnes I. The theme was more than apparent now. Ghirahim was using prominent figures from Hyrule's past to elicit some kind of mind control over the people he was fighting. It made sense that he was keeping in line with his nonsensical seven attributes and ascribing people he associated with them as his course for confusion. Ghirahim had become far too predictable at this point.

The dusty cloud rotated again to create a scene at, of all place, Ordon Bridge. There, it appeared that young Master Colin was about to engage in a fight with a man who resembled none other than the Hero of Twilight himself. This scene thus far was the most shocking, as it had the most relevance to the hero himself. Also too, there was the added fact that this scene was auditory. It was intelligible at first, but soon the voices rang through proficiently and clearly. The demon lord obviously wanted us to hear what was being said, so we listened in.

The fake hero was speaking to Rusl.

"Why do you think I'm here?" he asked rhetorically. "To bring peace? Master Rusl if you want to fight me we are going to fight as we are, where we are," he then turned his attention to Colin, "unless... you would like to be my opponent once more."

I just realized what was going on here.

"Once more?" I whispered. "Did they engage in combat already?"

Link in front of me said nothing.

Colin was staring at the apparition stunned now.

"What?" the youth asked mildly shocked.

Rusl turned to look at his son.

"Don't engage him at all!" he warned. "I mean it Colin! That's what he wants!"

The impostor kept his gaze on Colin and narrowed his eyes.

"You still think you can beat me, don't you... boy?" he taunted.

Link responded slightly to that.

"Dear goddesses," he whispered.

He must have known that how this was going that Colin was going to succumb to the pressure. Generally any young man who was pushed to the limit often succumbed to such pressure. His family and friends were watching.

The scene continued.

Colin narrowed his eyes in contempt.

"Boy?" he repeated.

Rusl was looking more panicked.

"Colin!" his father snapped. "I told you to stand down! That's my order! Do not advance any farther!"

However, Colin's whole disposition was changing.

"The only man who can address me in such a way is my father!" he replied. "I am not your boy!"

"Colin!" Rusl snapped again. "That's enough!"

"Come on Colin listen to your father," Link was practically imploring the cloud with no results of course.

The scene continued.

Colin looked like his mind was now made up. He was going to fight him.

"I will act as your back up father when the time comes for it," Colin told Rusl.

The apparition smirked.

"Afraid to fight me yourself master Colin?" he demanded. "Still struggling with your inferiority complex?"

Those words obviously got under Colin's skin.

"Inferiority complex?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

Realizing he hit a nerve, the apparition unsheathed his Master Sword.

"Tell your father to stand aside," he said, "you're the one I want to fight Master Colin."

Rusl looked beyond a panicked father.

"Absolutely not!" he exclaimed. "I'm your opponent! You will fight me!"

The creature was looking beyond Rusl at his son.

"You no longer have a choice in the matter," he divulged to Rusl, "you either fight me Master Colin, or I'll kill your father in front of you and the entire village."

I gasped and covered my mouth.

"Oh no!" I whispered.

The scene went on.

"What?" Rusl demanded. "That's quite a boast! We'll see if you can kill me!"

The fake hero was no longer paying attention to Rusl.

"The choice is yours," he said, "I'd decide quickly if I were you."

Colin was now caught in the middle of a grave verdict and looked to his father stationed in front of him. Then, in a minute decision stated his answer.

"It's settled," Colin replied finally, "I am your opponent."

Link's eyes widened in the present and he was obviously disturbed by what he was seeing. However, with that, the scene then finally ended and the dust cloud faded to black. We had no idea what was happening in that fight now.

"What the hell-?" the hero demanded shocked. "Bring that picture back! Bring it back Ghirahim!"

His demands were falling on deaf ears, but I could understand his immediate alarm and worry. Colin was no match for this monster, and if he were killed because of him, I would never forgive myself. The monster never complied with any of Link's demands.

"Do you see what's going to happen to your kingdom queen Zelda?" the demon lord taunted suddenly. "In one fell swoop it is going to fall. Your army is in disarray. Your people are trapped, and all hope is lost." Ghirahim's voice was very calm. "You may have stopped me temporarily, but once my master is revived that will be the end of the reign of you Hylians! Your wretched race will be oppressed and destroyed the way it was destined to be. I'm just showing the beginning stages of a very dark time."

Even though nothing currently was there, I couldn't take my eyes away from the cloud. What was this monster going to conjure up next? Suddenly, several moving pictures substantiated at once. The scenes were shifting simultaneously now, but the rhythmic visual cadence was almost sequential. The scenes were overlapping each other, creating a weird, twisted visage that appeared to be Demise's face. I took another step back at the sight of that. I knew Ghirahim was doing this to get us off guard.

Stay focused,I had to tell myself.

Ghirahim saw my mild disconcertion and grinned.

"Using your own worst nightmares against you to provoke you into a state of perpetual obedience is how my forces are going to win," he divulged, "why do you think I said 'all Hylians are liars?'"

I was taken aback by how directly he was using that statement now, but when the demon lord put it that way, it suddenly all made sense. The whole concept of the Hylian Paradox was to create a paradigm shift that the opposing army was not expecting. In this aspect, that's exactly how Ghirahim attacked my people. He was using the paradox as a psychological ploy to keep my men at bay, and from the scenes manifested, his plan seemed to be working. That was why ancestral father to me to be aware of that, but how was I supposed to counter it?

"A moment of clarity in a dark hour…"his voice echoed through my head again, however in the moment I couldn't make good use of them.

Link was now addressing the monster.

"Your words are hollow Ghirahim," Link replied, "you forget you're not at full strength, and judging from the amount of energy you lost, you'll only be able to tussle with me for a short period of time before you succumb to the residual effects of the Master Sword. You've only got one more shot to free your master before you die."

I looked at Link surprised at his brawny speech, having had no idea that he was gauging the demon lord so tentatively. I was greatly impressed with the hero's fighting intellect. I hadn't deduced that the reason for the brief stall was so Ghirahim could recoup his plans, and try a surprise us with an all-out attack. Now I had to think he knocked Elbourne out for the sole purpose of killing him, for a second shot at a purge. If that was the case we needed to protect him immediately.

Ghirahim growled at Link's boasts and quickly displaced the cloud in front of us. Then, without whim or warning, he lunged for Link. The hero immediately lunged back, catching the demon lord's attack before it connected. The Master Sword and the Demon Blade created a brief electrical friction throughout the air before both tangs were separated. I jumped away from the fighting zone, but readied myself if need be. Ghirahim was going to give it all he had.

Link pulled back, but immediately readied another offensive strike. However, Ghirahim parried the strike and used his blade as a shield. It was big enough for such an action. The demon lord then rotated the blade back and forth, and side to side with each strike. When Link's attacks were proving ineffective, the hero disengaged to read his opponent once more. Ghirahim then took the stalled opportunity to jump back and create another dark barrier of energy surrounding him. It rotated in all directions like before, but it had the added effect of becoming larger and more luminescent. He then took the large projectiles and aimed them at Link and me. Link quickly disengaged his battle stance and ran to push me out of harm's way. We both landed on the ground hard, but the discomfort was subsided when I saw another ball of energy quickly looming towards us.

"Behind you!" I shouted.

Then, without thinking, I raised my hand and a huge aura of light surrounded Link and me creating a barrier. I had no idea where this power had come from, until I thought about Hylia and her healing me

Is this a gift from you ancestral mother?I could help but wonder.

When the dark energy collided into the newly constituted defense, both sets of energy cells cancelled each other out, conjuring a neutralizing effect. Link covered my body with his to protect me from the blowback of the blast. We were pressed up against a wall now, so the force created another pressure gradient within the crypt temporarily. Ghirahim flew several feet back in the opposite direction, while Elbourne's unconscious body moved farther down the perimeter towards us. I couldn't help but think that that was the safest place for him, and I noticed this time that Ghirahim's attack was careful not to harm the dragon prince. So he may not have just wanted to kill him the way I assumed, at least not with any normalized attack.

Ghirahim knows that the Elbourne is his last shot at his master's revival,I thought.He can't afford to kill him with anything other than the Master Sword.

When the blast cleared Link checked on me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I'm fine," I said, "but I think I know now how I can help you in this fight."

However, Link gave me an offhanded stare and shook his head.

"I want you to stay back," he said, "he won't survive much longer."

I understood his concern, but I had a different point of reference.

"But I can-" I tried.

"No Zelda!" he interrupted. "No!"

I was about to protest myself, when I saw the demon lord get back on his feet and hurry into a charge attack.

My eyes widened.

"Look out!" I shouted.

Ghirahim lunged at us, and Link had just enough time to push me out of the way and parry his oncoming sword strike. I landed hard and rolled to the other side of the chasm. I shook off my dizziness and looked back to where Link was to make sure he was okay. The hero was in another constrained sword duel. However, he finally got the upper hand when the demon lord pushed more from his right side than his left. He was more vulnerable on his right and Link pushed the demon lord away to regain his footing. The hero then side stepped twice, rolled, and jumped into an aerial strike to cause damage to Ghirahim's back, but the attack also allowed him to escape from being cornered into the wall as well.

Ghirahim turned around looking furious, not wasting any time to get his revenge. The demon lord struck at the hero only to miss. Link jumped back, readied his sword at an angle, and horizontally struck the crystalline recesses at the Demon Blade's weak point. Crystals flew through the air and then disappeared, creating a gaping crevice in the side of the sword. It was just as I suspected, that blade wasn't as strong as it looked.

I've got to help him!I thought and stood up, but before I could do anything another voice suddenly interjected in my head.

"Wait Zelda!"it was a woman's voice.

I froze and my eyes widened.

"Is that who I think it is?" I whispered. "Is that you Hylia?"

"Don't use your lips when you speak to me my child,"she directed, sounding eerily serious,"use your mind."

I didn't understand what she meant right away, but I complied as best I could. I concentrated and just said the words in my head as I would with my mouth.

"Alright,"I replied using my mind,"I'm doing just as you've stated… where are you?"

"Don't worry about that now,"Hylia replied,"before you help Link you have to help your fellow countrymen."

I looked on confused. I was all for that, but I didn't see how that was possible at the moment.

"How?"I wondered.

"I gave you a great deal of my strength,"she divulged,"you can now use that to communicate with your people telepathically."

I took in a surprised gasp at the realization.

"Really?"I thought.

"Yes,"she replied,"but you must hurry."

I swallowed hard and suddenly stood erect.

"How is this going to help them?"I wondered.

"Ghirahim has used an aspect of the Hylian Paradox against us,"she explained."What we have to do is send a message to your people to counter the measures before them."

I shook my head in disagreement.

"That's going to take a great deal of time,"I thought, still watching Link fight Ghirahim."I still need to provide a diversion for Link."

"You'll be able to do that afterwards,"Hylia explained,"if you don't do this now, your men will lose heart and die. That's the reason why I allowed myself to disappear. The only way for you as a queen of Hyrule to properly use telepathy is with a link. I will provide you that link to your armies. I knew Ghirahim was going to try a paradoxical effect on us when we were fighting him. That's why the true Hero of Sky told you to remember the Hylian Paradox. It may have seemed strange at the time of your capture, but subliminally he was preparing you and me for this. He was well aware of Ghirahim's tactics. He knew the demon lord would try something like this."

It was a lot to take in at the moment, but it all made sense, and even more so with him telling to have clarity in a dark hour. I could think of none darker than this moment. Nevertheless, I was still a little cynical.

"Ancestral mother..."I thought with a mild onset of doubt, but then rescinded it and asked,"what do I say? What do I tell them?"

There was a slight pause on her end, but she soon tapped in.

"You need to inform your people to take back the power that was stolen from them,"she explained.

I didn't understand right away.

"What do you mean?"I wondered.

"You know I can't tell you, you must think Zelda!"she said earnest."Think about all your lessons from me. Think about all the lessons from your ancestral father."

I bit my lower lip having to decide upon this quickly. Everything presented to me on this quest was riddle. Even ancestral father's last parting words were a riddle. If Ghirahim used his power to create an enigmatic situation to cause confusion, then the only true course of action would be to do the same; fight a paradox with a paradox as it were.

"'All Hylians are liars' all Hylians are liars, all Hylians are liars…"I thought of the phrase several times."Ancestral father was a brilliant strategist and tactician, and ancestral mother is the goddess incarnate. If Ghirahim is so bent on a lie, then perhaps we should give him what he wants, only he'll never know what hit him. We'll propagate a strategic lie. "

There was another brief pause on the goddess's end allowing for my singular contemplation.

"Then do you have the message you want to convey?"Hylia asked me.

I looked over at Link, seeing that he was still keeping Ghirahim at bay, but he was going to need some assistance soon.

"Yes, ancestral mother,"I resolved,"yes I do."

There was another tentative pause.

"Very well,"she said finally,"you need to close your eyes and concentrate."

At Hylia's commencing, I closed my eyes and began to focus.

My countrymen needed me.

~SSS~

Dragon Roost Impasse

My sword flung high in the air.

"Men of Hyrule attack!" I shouted.

My men and I then charged the fakeHero of Skyand his Twili forces. I met the apparition's blade with vigorous ferocity. The apparition fought just like the hero of old.

How is this possible?I thought.

The battle waged on, but suddenly, out of nowhere a voice conjured through the my head.

"Commander!"the voice said.

It was a female voice.

At first I thought I was going mad, because I was locked in a sword engagement with the phantom.

"Commander!"the woman said again.

This time I looked around.

"What in the-?" I muttered to myself.

She spoke again.

"Don't be alarmed and act as if nothing is distracting you,"she said."This is your queen, Zelda, and I have an order for you."

I could hardly believe this was happening.

Your majesty?I thought having to keep my senses intact.

"Yes,"she replied to my thought,"maintain your calm,"she repeated,"I can read your thoughts right now. I understand that the specter in front of you keeps insisting that 'all Hylians are liars,' am I correct?"

I nodded and kept my engagement with my opponent. I was amazed that the queen deduced that.

Yes,I thought,he said it twice.

"That's fine,"she said,"and here's what I want you to do… I want you to lie. I want you to use the battle schematic meant for situations like these. The men will know all this information I'm telling you if you utter the phrase 'it's time to turn the tide.' That will make them aware of what to do. Remember to keep your guard."

I felt completely surreal, but didn't let it show.

Yes, your majesty,he thought.

"That is all,"she said,"Godspeed general."

With that, queen Zelda's voice desisted.

"Godspeed your majesty," I whispered to himself, "wherever you may be."

The impostorsmirked at my whispering.

"Has combat made you crazy general?" he asked. "You've been muttering to yourself like a madman for the last few minutes."

I disengaged the apparition and pulled back for a moment. TheHero of Skytook that the maneuver as a sign of submission.

"Are you receding general?" the apparition asked. "Do you finally realize you are a conquered people?"

It was in that moment I closed my eyes and sheathed my sword.

"Indeed," I said, then stated the encryption, "it looks likeit's time to turn the tide."

~SSS~

Hyrule Field: Midna's POV

I looked on at the newly discovered adversary knowing the Hyrulean forces couldn't attack the way they had before. If they did, it was going to mean a swift and hefty casualty count.

"Reengage men and wait for my command!" Maximillion ordered.

The men went back into formation and watched as the fakeheroand his troops readied themselves. I pulled back on my reigns and sighed at the possible outcomes. There were really only two: life or death.

How is this going to be decided?I thought.

Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted.

"Your majesty!"said a female voice out of nowhere.

I looked around in surprise, but saw no one.

Has all this yellow light made me crazy?I wondered.

I was reassured otherwise.

"No, you're not crazy,"the woman replied,"it is I, Queen Zelda, and I have a plan to stop these monsters."

I looked on stunned.

"What?" I whispered. "How?"

"Don't be startled and don't answer out loud,"the light queen said,"I can read your mind so answer that way, do you understand?"

I was too astonished to do anything, but I nodded slightly anyway.

Yes,I thought.

"Good,"the light queen replied,"I've already given orders for a mass message to be received by all the men of the army. I need for you to use your Twili power in accordance with the Hylian Paradox."

I was confused with what she was asking me.

I don't even know what the Hylian Paradox is,I thought.

Zelda knew she needed to explain.

"It's a military battle strategy where you do the opposite of what is ordered,"Zelda explained,"it was a maneuver that worked very well five hundred years ago, but has long since been forgotten. However, every general in the army is briefed on it. It's my hope that that fact can turn our fortunes in this fight today."

I nodded understanding with the clarity now.

I see, and I will do all that I can your majesty,I thought.

"Likewise my lady,"Zelda replied;"when you hear Maximillion say 'it's time to turn the tide,' use your barriers as a counter surge."

I understand,I thought.

"That is all for now,"the light queen said finalizing the conversation,"Godspeed Queen Midna."

Godspeed your majesty,Midna thought.

I thought the communication was over when Zelda uttered something else suddenly.

"One more thing your majesty,"the light queen said,"we've found the dragon prince... the real dragon prince."

My eyes widened and I held in a gasp.

Is he alright?I wondered.

There was a brief pause.

"Yes, Midna my dear,"the light queen reassured,"he's alright. Be ready."

With that, the communication was stopped, and I looked over at the general with a renewed sense of calm. There was a different look of determination on his face as well than from a moment ago. That was when I realized the synchronous command must have been given.

"Are you ready?" the general asked me directly.

I nodded.

"I'm ready," I said.

The general then turned to his soldiers.

"This fight is for all of us men," Maximillion said sheathing his sword, "it's time to turn the tide."

At that moment, I reengaged my force field, making it protect the whole Hyrulean battalion.

"I couldn't agree with you more general," I replied, "I couldn't agree more."

~SSS~

Hyrule Underground:

Lydia was crawling quickly to the wall on the other side of the pit. She was making good progress and wasn't being noticed. I was watching in silently, but with much anxiety.

If we don't free Zelvious soon,I thought,this situation is going to go from bad to worse.

I was about to be interrupted.

"I couldn't agree with you more,"said a female voice from out of the blue.

"Yes," I replied casually, then realized what I had done. I looked around stunned. "What was that?" I whispered to myself.

"It's me,"the woman said,"it's Zelda."

I looked around once more.

"Your majesty?" I said surprised.

"Keep your voice down,"she said,"I have new orders for you, and you need to remain calm. Don't reply with your mouth, use your mind; I can read it temporarily."

I swallowed hard and nodded. I was shocked.

You can read my mind?I wondered.

"Yes,"Zelda replied.

My eyes widened.

How long have you been able to do that?I thought, feeling very embarrassed suddenly.

There was a brief pause.

"Why?"she asked.

I unexpectedly broke out in a sweat.

No reason,I thought trying to be casual.

There was another brief pause.

"I just told you temporarily,"she repeated.

I took in a deep relieved sigh.

Alright,I thought,what do you need me to do?

"I've already put into effect the first part of the plan,"she said,"it has to deal with the Hylian Paradox. You are central to this working where you are.

I almost thought he didn't hear her correctly.

Me your majesty?he wondered.

"The Hylian Paradox is all about the unexpected,"she said,"and you my beloved Shad would be something most unexpected. No one would anticipate an attack coming from you."

I felt his eyes widen.

You majesty-I tried to think.

"I know you can do this,"the queen interrupted his thoughts,"you can do anything Shad, even show the woman you love how much you love her. What you did at the Hyrulean Festival took a great deal of bravery."

I looked on surprised that she made mention of that. I was drunk majority of the festival and had no idea what she was talking about.

You think so?I wondered.

"I know so,"she replied,"a sword and a shield won't best a man like you."

I honestly felt astonished with everything the queen was telling me. It was like mana from heaven.

Thank you for having faith in me your majesty,I thought,and your servant Lydia is here as well. She went off to provide a diversion so we can free the general.

"As soon as she's done providing the distraction,"Zelda went on,"and you hear 'it's time to turn the tide,' then you must engage the adversary in combat."

I wasn't expecting to hear that.

What?I wondered.

"Trust me,"she replied,"you can do this. It's all part of the battle strategy."

I'm not a fighter your majesty,I thought,I'm a scholar.

There was another pause.

"You're so much more than you think you are Shad,"she replied,"you can do this… now Godspeed my friend."

I felt my throat tighten when the communication was suddenly lost.

Godspeed your majesty,I thought.

I took in a deep sigh and closed my eyes.

She must have faith in me for a reason,I thought.

"Well Shad my lad," I whispered to myself, "it's time to see what you're made of."

~SSS~

Arbiter's Grounds

After the circling about, I was about to tap into Colin's brain at Ordon Bridge when Hylia stopped me.

"Leave the Ordonians be for now,"she said to me.

I looked on puzzled.

"Why?"I wondered.

"I have my reasons,"Hylia replied, not explaining herself,"don't worry, that young man will be fine."

That was none to reassuring for me considering what I saw, but I had no choice but to let it go.

"Alright,"I thought,"if you're sure."

When the mass communication was over, I took in a deep breath and immediately looked over at Link. He was still embroiled in combat with Ghirahim.

"You have to help him Zel,"Hylia said in her ethereal voice,he needs you though he will never ask you.

"I know," I replied out loud, "and I think we're going to have to apply the same strategy here."

Hylia was silent for a moment.

"Make sure you unleash the true power of the Triforce,"she said to me."Hurry, I'll be watching."

I nodded and didn't reply verbally. I got up off the ground and closed my eyes once more. I was going to use the same means to get Link's attention that I used to get the others. I concentrated and focused on him. We were going to have to use the same attack strategy I just employed to the army: the element of surprise.

Meanwhile, Link dodged an attack and hit the demon lord's sword again. The Demon Blade was quickly abolishing, and its strikes were ineffective. However, without the right concentrated blow, the sword had the power to regenerate itself. The problem was Link needed a diversion in order to make that diversion a possibility. That was now my job.

"Link!"my voice suddenly echoed in his head.

Trying not to be thrown off balance, Link glanced over at me with a perplexed expression for a moment. I was certain he was making sure he heard me correctly, but he didn't reply. I understood his discretion.

"Link!"I repeated."Don't say anything out loud, but I just spoke to the people of Hyrule using this same means,"I explained."Hylia isn't gone, she just transfigured into a spiritual state so she could help us differently! I know you are going to say I'm crazy, but we're going to have to switch places in this fight. I will provide the point as the diversion while you provide the deathblow. We have to do something that he isn't expecting!"

However, the look on Link's face before he dodged Ghirahim's attack signified to me that didn't approve of the idea.

"I don't think so,"he told me cerebrally,"I nearly have him. I want you to stay as you are."

I wasn't going to argue with Link, but he was making this difficult by not listening to me.

"Nearly having him and having him are two very different things,"I stated,"and as such I think you need to listen to my plan."

Link was caught up with another attack and couldn't reply. It was in this instance that I explained to him what I was going to do.

"I'm going to use the complete power Hylia gave me along with the Triforce of Wisdom,"I explained,"that should be enough strength for me to hold him off while you eradicate him with the Master Sword. We can then put his remnants into the mirror and seal him away."

Link's blade met Ghirahim's again, but through the offensive engagement I saw his reluctant head nod when I opened my eyes. I think he finally knew he needed to trust me in this endeavor.

"Good," I whispered to myself, then started on my final task: calling on my true potential. I clasped my hands together and started chanting: "Goddess of Hyrule and Guardians of Light give me the power true power of the Sage of Light." I said in several times in rapid succession and started feeling a warm bolus of energy swell inside of me. I continued chanting as the effects were immediate, "Goddess of Hyrule and Guardians of Light give me the true power of the Sage of Light!" I said it with more vigor this time.

Suddenly, my skin prickled in a piloerection when a beam of blue light surrounded me and lifted me into a transcended dimension of space and time. The space was composed of what 'matter' was before it became kinetic, potential. That 'potential' was a multicolored aqueous solution, where the Light Guardians: Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru were lying wait. The guardians then cascaded over me like aerial creatures in a moving space opera, creating a water-like arch and roadway. I walked down this 'roadway' to what was the 'light rite of passage', when suddenly the Twilight Guardians erupted from the wet abyss as well.

Their presence must have been a demonstration of the 'twilight rite of passage'. I was receiving both blessings in the same event as it were. Exerion, Azimuth, and Radian flew around me too, creating a staircase going heavenward. The dragon guardian regurgitated an aquatic beam of water that converted instantly to a nautical escalator. The snake guardian slithered from the multifaceted deep and used its tongue to excavate the liquid for construction. The phoenix guardian then rose from the rainbow colored void and flew over the structure, shuffling several of its gigantic feathers loose and allowing them to finish the edifice that made the stairs.

I walked to the top and entered a door where there was a demarcation of both twilight and Hylian light. When I took my first step, I immediately purged downward into a pool of crystalline golden brown liquid. When I came to the surface the liquid was now platinum white. It represented a baptism of twilight and the light of Hyrule. What was about to happen was both for the good of the Hylians and the Twilight Realm. I emerged from the 'waters' with my hair now platinum black, my eyes were crystalline blue, and I was wearing a light blue gown with an emblem of the Triforce on the front.

I was at my greatest potential.

Waiting on the other side of a short walkway at the end of it all was Hylia, and in her hands were the light arrows. She was wearing her white gown, and her golden hair was swept up into a crown. She handed me the arrows with a serious expression on her face.

"You can do this Zelda," she told me.

I nodded.

"I know," I replied, and took the powerful gift, "and I will."

Hylia smiled at me.

"Hurry!" she said. "You haven't a moment to lose!"

With that, suddenly the dimension displaced like shattered glass, and I descended back down to Hyrule. Link was still engaged in combat, when I took it upon myself to come at the demon lord with an all-out offensive strike. There was no sense hesitating, this was why I procured these weapons. I pulled out an arrow, readied it with my bow, and took aim at the gaping hole in Ghirahm's chest.

"Stand guard Master Link!" I shouted suddenly.

Link took my signal as a ready and jumped back from his engagement with the monster. I released my arrow and watched as it landed dead in the center of Ghirahim's aperture. The resultant energy from the shot quantified exponentially, causing an iridized ballistic after effect.

"AHHHH!" the demon lord screamed now clutching his chest.

Ghirahim looked over at me shocked, and I fired another shot, not waiting for him to retaliate. The next arrow hit his shoulder, forcing him to drop his blade. I knew these arrows weren't going to kill the demon lord, but they were definitely going to slow him down significantly. I readied another arrow and this time ran over in front of Link. I got down on one knee and fired again.

"I'll hold him off while you finish him!" I called out.

Link saw that the plan was working and nodded in agreement. He resumed his battle stance, then lunged for the demon lord. However, Ghirahim still had enough strength to defend himself. The monster caught hold of the blade of the Master Sword and ripped it from Link's grip. As a consequence, a surge of holy energy pummeled Ghirahim's body, but he garnered enough strength to throw the blade across the room.

I paused in my assault to see what Ghirahim's reasoning was behind such a maneuver. It was obvious he was trying to halt Link's attack, but I knew he intended something else as well. My eyes followed the blade, and watched as it landed viperously in the calf of Elbourne's right leg. The poor prince regained consciousness immediately and screamed. My eyes widened in horror when I realized Ghirahim was making a last ditch effort to revive his master now using Elbourne's body.

"Link I've got him!" I shouted. "Go after the blade!"

Link didn't hesitate at my words, as he hurried towards Elbourne across the chasm. However, before the hero could get away, Ghirahim grabbed hold of Link's leg causing him to fall and be temporarily apprehended. Seeing that, I quickly released a shot to Ghirahim's hand. It landed, but he still didn't release Link. I shot again and still nothing. This monster was determined.

"Zelda!" Link called to me. "Go after it! I'll come to you when I get free!"

I wasn't sure it worked that way.

"But you're the sword's master Link!" I replied.

He fanned my concern off.

"That doesn't matter!" he said. "Go before Demise gets set free!"

It was in that moment that I took it upon myself to hurry over to Elbourne's body and extract the blade alone. I knew it was risky because I wasn't the chosen hero, but Link was right if I didn't do something Demise was going to be upon us once again.I hurried over to Elbourne who was now conscious and screaming in pain.

"Ahhh!" he cried out.

I went to his injured leg.

"I've got you!" I reassured. "Just hold still!"

When I took hold of the butt of the blade I was quite surprised how embedded the blade had become from that throw. It didn't look like it had much force behind I, it seemed I assumed wrong. As I pulled, the Master Sword inched up little by little from my efforts, but I wasn't making nearly the progress that Link would make, and poor Elbourne was suffering greatly from the impalement. I was trying to relieve him as much as possibly when suddenly I froze and felt my heart beat forcefully. In that instant I saw a dragon like limb substantiate itself from the sword. If I didn't work faster, Demise was about to be an all too real reality.

"I have to get this thing out of you!" I said to Elbourne therough clenched teeth. "Just bear with me a little longer!"

Link saw my efforts and tried scrambling to his feet, but Ghirahim's grip was tight. The hero then turned and kicked at the demon lord's face to release him. Ghirahim still wouldn't let go. Link went on to kick him repeatedly, until finally Ghirahim's grip did loosen. The hero then hurried over to where I was and took over what I was doing.

"Move!" he ordered seeing the scaly limb manifest itself once more. "Now!"

I didn't hesitate. I moved and allowed him to take over. This was too important a task for silly heroics on my part. The blade was harder to recede with the limb of Demise manifesting itself. The added weight and pressure was like being in an area of increased gravity. The gradients were making it nearly impossible to pull the blade from Elbourne's leg. However, Link had to keep trying. We simply had no other choice.

"Come on!" I whispered.

I took several steps back as I watched Link continue the extraction, but unfortunately while my attention was diverted, Ghirahim snapped his fingers and teleported his injured body from the floor. I turned quickly hoping to see where he was going to land. He hadn't reappeared yet.

"Damn it!" I muttered after the occurrence.

Like a game of cat and mouse, the demon lord then made his presence known when he reappeared behind Link. Afterwards, he snapped his fingers again to make his Demon Blade substantiate once more. He drew his blade back like an executioner at a beheading. The monster was going to attempt to decapitate the hero.

"Oh no!" I whispered.

I had to think fast. So, I disengaged his attack by lunging into him from behind. It wasn't a really well thought out idea because he stumbled forward into Link, which caused the blade to stab back down into Elbourne's leg.

"Ahhh!" Elbourne cried out in pain.

Damn it!I thought, realizing I had done more harm than good.

I took advantage of Ghirahim's new disequilibrium and lunged at him again from the side. I needed to get him away from Link while he attempted to pull out the sword again. When the demon lord was stumbled again, I reequipped my bow and arrow and shot several projections sequentially. Ghirahim's body was pummeled from the light arrows, but every wound that was manifested was quickly closed over because his deep connection with the darkness. Ghirahim had this look of unbridled anger on his face, and the anger superseded his rational thought process. Even though the arrows of light weren't killing him, he was still losing a great deal of power. It would have been in his best interest to stand down and regenerate his energy, but the monster's hubris and desperation for his master's return would not allow that.

It was fine by me. I didn't stop my assault. The more shots I subdued Ghirahim with, the more I saw him stumble back towards the Mirror of Twilight. This was actually working out perfectly. If I kept him subjected there, when Link finally freed the Master Sword he could deliver the crippling blow, and Ghirahim's essence could be sealed away once more. I just had to stay focused.

Link pulled and pulled on the blade, but the results were not what the effort was giving. However, he was making progress.

"Hang tight dragon prince!" Link reassured. "I've almost got it!"

Elbourne didn't answer, the pain and the energy leaving him was preventing him from doing that. However, I did notice something happening as well, large bluffs of purple energy cells was steadily leaving his body too. If that energy represented what I thought it was, this could have been the answer to my prayer. Was this what ancestral father was talking about when he mentioned the bloodletting on my behalf? Was my blood mixing with his to heal him? I would only know if there was a distinct change within him after this was all over. Meanwhile Link gritted his teeth as he continued to pull at the blade. With the effort starting to have a counter balance, the scaly limb began to regress back into the sword.

Link got a second wind when he saw that.

"What in the-?" he said confused.

It seemed my hypothesis was the correct one. The blood was not only healing Elbourne but acting as a reagent catalyst to reverse the effects of the purge. The limb soon was completely entombed in the blade, and once that took place, Link was fully able to extract the sword from Elbourne's leg. Once freed, the prince grabbed his wounded leg in relief. However, that of course didn't completely subside the pain.

"Sorry my friend! We'll heal you in a second!" Link said surprisingly to the dragon prince, then hurried towards Ghirahim. "This will all be over soon!"

I held my long range attack behind Link when he moved in to initiate close combat. I was aware I couldn't be as free with my shots as I once was. I had to proceed with caution. Meanwhile, Link ran up to the demon lord and rotated his sword so that the butt of his blade careened him in the face. However, Ghirahim dodged the attack and caught the hilt of the sword, but Link was anticipating him doing that. The hero rotated the sword again and shoved the blade through Ghirahim's gut. The monster looked at the hero astonished.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ghirahim screamed, trying to pull the sword from his body, but now when he touched the hilt it burned his hands.

I knew that was evil's bane working. I kept my eyes on lock for any change in position from the monster. Link watched as Ghirahim fell down onto his knees still trying to fight the effects of his dying body.

"No! No! No! NO GODDAMN IT" he screamed. "I can't lose to the likes of a wretch like you again! Not again! I can't! I'm thedemonlord!"

Link said nothing to him as he watched him. Instead, he grabbed hold of the handle of the blade and pulled the Master Sword from his withering body. Afterwards, the hero just stared into the demon lord's opaque whites eyes, before he kicked him square in the chest and sending him flying towards the mirror. Ghirahim landed hard on the glass and his evil essence activated a dormant vacuity in the rotunda which began pulling the monster in. Ghirahim grabbed the edges in horror before the vacuum completely overcame him. Seeing that he was still trying to hang on, Link came up again and kicked him once more, but this time in the head. The demon lord was not able to sustain his grip and got suctioned part way in. His legs were still holding onto the edge of the mirror while his upper body was completely inside. Suddenly, a residual blowback came forth from the glass, sending Link flying backwards and away from the mirror while Ghirahim now was taken completely in. Link landed hard in front of me.

I quickly went to see about him.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Link only nodded and covered his eyes as a bright light now shined throughout the crypt. I looked over at Elbourne who was shielding himself as well. I was glad to see that he was alright and alive and well.

Thank Hylia,I thought.

When the light subsided, we could all see that Ghirahim's body was now spinning vertically in the space time continuum. The monster was finally once again locked away. Just when we thought the thick of it was over a dark purple lasso of energy whipped from within the mirror out into the vault and around my leg. I looked on in complete shock.

What in the-?I thought.

Before I could react or say anything, the lasso began dragging me towards the mirror in an expedient fashion.

"If I have to go!" Ghirahim's voice screamed from beyond. "I'm not going alone!"

A pit of dread dropped in my stomach.

"Link!" I screamed as I fell and landed hard on the ground.

"Zelda!" Link and Elbourne said in unison.

They both jumped up respectively from where they were to grab my hands, even Elbourne with his wounded leg. However, the vacuum was proving to be too great. The closer we got, the more the suction pulled. It was apparent at this rate I was going to be drawn in. Even still, the two men didn't let me go.

"Whatever you do don't let me go!" Link ordered. "I mean it!"

I nodded.

"I won't!" I promised.

The lasso pulled the three of us closer and closer. Until there was a considerable yank that pulled us all up to a standing position. It was in this moment that I was truly terrified and came to the realization that I might not survive this. I was now pressed up against the mirror, basically ready to go through, but holding onto Link and Elbourne's hands for dear life. Link pulled back with all his might, but the suction was just too great, and Elbourne with his wounded leg was not able to give his complete all. However, they were both desperately trying.

This is it!I thought seriously this time.But I'm not going to sacrifice my kingdom to save my life. We finally have Ghirahim back where he belongs. There's no way I'm going to risk him escaping again!

It was in that moment I made my resolve.

"Let me go!" I called out suddenly.

Link and Elbourne looked at me like I was insane.

"Not a chance in hell" Elbourne replied.

The vacuum was getting stronger, and the lasso Ghirahim had around me loosened free from my leg. The demon lord was being pulled farther and farther into the glassy abyss and could no longer sustain me, but I knew that if the seal didn't close soon, he would try to find a way to escape.

"Let me go!" I repeated.

Link wasn't even considering it.

"Will you shut up with that!" he demanded. "Neither one of us are letting you go!"

I shook my head.

"You don't understand!" I replied. "You have too! Ghirahim will get out if the seal doesn't close soon!"

Link wouldn't hear it.

"I'm not going to watch you die!" he said.

Elbourne was in agreement with Link.

"What you're asking of us is completely out of the question!" he replied.

I understood their concern, but I didn't have time to argue. I had to do what I had to do to ensure the safety of my kingdom. So, I started inching my fingers from both of their grips. Both men sensed their lighter holds and tried to re-embrace me.

"What the hell are you doing?" Link demanded. "Stop this Zelda!"

I couldn't allow him to deter me.

"You have to let me go!" I replied. "We can't run the-"

"Give me your hand!" Elbourne demanded. "Now!"

I wouldn't re-grip them. I couldn't re-grip them. It was too dangerous to even suggest it. I loosened my hands some more. Link looked at me in panic.

"No! Goddamn you Zelda!" Link said angry. "Don't let me go!"

I'm sorry,I thought sincerely, but then felt a strange sense of inner peace,at least I was able to make things right for you Master Link.

"I'm sorry, but there is no other way!" I finalized. "Protect the people of Hyrule for me!"

With that, I relinquished my grasp. I was about to let the vacuum overtake me, when suddenly Link briefly let my hand go, only to grab me tighter and push me out of harm's way and to the side. I landed hard on the ground near the mirror, but didn't concern myself with the discomfort when I saw Link now holding onto the edge of the mirror for dear life.

I felt my heart sink.

"No!" I cried out. "No! No! NO!"

Surprisingly, Elbourne quickly took hold of Link's arm and heaved him with all his might.

"Come on farm boy!" he grunted. "Why the hell did you do that? You know you're heavier than the goddamn queen!"

Link ignored his statement and held on tight.

"You two get out of here!" he ordered. "It's your job to protect Zelda now Elbourne!"

Elbourne didn't stop his pull.

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to let you die as a martyr and have that hanging over my head for the rest of my life!" he replied. "Get your ass out of that mirror!"

"Will you just do as I say?!" Link barked. "Stop being an idiot!"

Elbourne smirked all of a sudden.

"You forget farm boy!" he said. "You aren't king yet and I'm still a prince of Dragon Roost! I don't take orders from you! Now give me your hand!"

Link shook his head.

"The pull is too great Elbourne!" he replied. "Get the queen out of here!"

"Give me your other hand!" Elbourne ignored him.

The hero was losing his patience.

"I said get out of here you stubborn son of a bitch!" Link shouted.

Elbourne groaned and stared at the Hero of Twilight for a moment and made a split decision. In an amazing turn of events, the dragon prince took Link's hand, gripped it tight, thenpushedhim off to the side the way Link had done to me just a moment ago. Link landed hard next to me on the ground. He looked over at the dragon prince beyond shocked.

"What the hell?!" Link muttered.

Elbourne grinned at the two of us on the ground. "Someone's got to keep farming in Hyrule!" he joked, gripping the mirror fiercely. "Now get out of here and marry the womanIlove!"

I looked at the mirror in shock and panic as Elbourne was about to be pulled through. I scrambled to my feet, but Link grabbed me around my waist.

"Don't Zelda!" Link said. "You can't!"

I looked at Link in alarm.

"I'm not going to watch him die for me!" I said angrily.

"Get out of here!" Elbourne repeated to the both of us. "This place is going to probably blow!"

I found myself unable to move.

"Elbourne-" I tried.

"Link get her out of here!" Elbourne interrupted. "If you love her like you claim then you will leave me here and go!"

I couldn't believe this was happening. I couldn't believe Elbourne was willing to sacrifice himself for us. However, the hero was not about to just leave he jumped back onto his feet and hurried back over to the mirror.

"Give me your hand!" Link ordered.

Elbourne shook his head and looked visibly annoyed.

"Don't be stupid!" he replied. "Get out of here! The seal is about to close over!"

"Elbourne-" Link tried.

"Go Link!" he said. "Just go! Take Zelda to safety!"

Link looked at him surprised, but still didn't budge.

"Give me your hand!" he said.

Elbourne shook his head. "Leave now!"

Link grabbed hold of Elbourne's arm anyway.

"Heave!" he grunted. "Come on! Heave!"

"Leave now!" Elbourne snarled starting to get angry. "This will all have been for nothing!"

"Look dragon prince-" Link tried.

They were both suddenly interjected.

"You idiots still can't get along?"a voice interrupted out of nowhere.

I looked around in shock and surprise when I recognized who it was.

"Hylia?" I whispered looking around the chasm, but caught no sight of her.

"You've got it kid!"she replied in her standard enthusiastic tone.

Suddenly, the goddess reappeared in the vault right next to the mirror. With a burst of strength she shoved both Elbourne and Link out of the way. Both men landed hard on the ground next to me. They both looked astonished at the goddess's reappearance. However, now Hylia was caught in the vacuum, but she didn't look at all surprised. In fact, she was smiling at me.

I knew what that smile meant.

Don't do it!I thought hurrying to my feet, but Link caught me once more.Don't trap yourself in there with him!

"No!" I whispered. "Please don't!"

"I have to tell you!" Hylia started as a joke. "The mirror thing wasn't one of my better ideas!"

I felt the alarm overtake me as to what she was about to do.

"Don't ancestral mother!" I begged. "Get away from there!"

Hylia had a look of peace come over her face.

"You worry too much!" she said. "And I've told you before I'd do anything for your happiness Zelly! Anything! Even die for you kid!"

Terror surged through my body at her words.

How can a goddess die?I demanded myself.

"This isn't going to make me happy!" I replied, trying to stop her. "Don't do this!"

Hylia just smiled at me once more, and then directed her attention to Link and Elbourne.

"You idiots better pull through!" she said. "No one is going to die because of me!"

No!I thought.No! Not Hylia! Not the goddess!

Finally, as if on cue, Hylia let the edges go and was sucked into the rotating vortex.

"No!" I screamed. "No! Hylia! Hyliaaaaaaaaa!"

Link quickly pulled me down to the ground in anticipation of what was to come.

"We have to take cover!" he warned.

Suddenly, the room shifted and swayed as the crypt filled with light that rotated between seven different colors. When the make shifting subsided, the mirror retained its normal golden brown cglow. I looked around the eerily quiet chasm in disbelief, hoping that there would be some sign of that Hylia was still alive. However, that was merely wishful thinking. There was no sign of her anywhere.

The goddess of Hyrule was gone.