Couple of the Wild (ZeLink)

Chapter 3: The Castle's Remnants

She could feel the deep pounding in her chest, pumping blood through her veins as the adrenaline took over. She couldn't breathe. She gasped for air as she attempted to claw away at the darkness that suffocated her. She could feel the slimy, grotesque strings of malice seeping into her throat. It clung to her, draining her power, along with the comforting feeling she had felt for the last hundred years. She could sense that she wasn't alone, as if others were there to offer their own experience to her in order to keep her power strong, but there was still only so much they could do; that she could do. His influence was seeping not just inside of her, but out through the weakening barrier that she had kept up for so long. Her grasp was losing strength. It was as if she could feel the oozing malice trickling through her fingers and into the outside world, causing an increase in the monster's strength. She was failing. The Calamity would break free at any moment.

It was only a matter of time. The fields, the trees, the people she loved so much would soon be trampled. She didn't want that. A vivid image of the clouded boar flew through her mind. He had done it once; he could do it again. He would do it again. He will do it again. The beast's roar echoed through her mind, yet in the far-off distance, she could hear it. Laughter; a faint, yet familiar laughter of a man that had cursed her for so long. For years. For centuries. For every different era in time. She would fail, just as her plans had failed before. His laughter rang louder. The remaining lives in Hyrule would be taken, including the knight that had served her for so long, the knight that had so recently just died in her arms.

She felt her throat begin to bloat with malice. She could feel the tears form in the corner of her eyes as she gagged, fighting to keep her grasp and breathe at the same time. The laughter grew even louder. He would win. It was over. She was ready to give in, to allow the darkness to take her. It was only a matter of time. She could see his blackened face before it changed, revealing a corrupted red-maned face that was so close to hers. She closed her eyes, wishing for it to disappear, but she could still see it, watching her struggle, waiting for her to break. She choked.

"No!"

Zelda bolted up from the ground, still keeping her eyes tightly shut to avoid looking into Ganon's evil orange eyes. She swung her right arm up; she had to keep her power strong. She couldn't allow him to break free. She could see it through her eyelids,  the bright golden power shining from the back of her hand. It felt warm and soothing against her skin. It had been so long since her power had been able to cover the Calamity's frigid and slimy aura. Still, she was worried. Even if her power had gained strength, he had weakened it before and he would do it again. She couldn't let her guard down for even a moment. She had to focus. She could no longer hear his laughter; however, another sound now echoed in her ears. A chirping sound, one she had almost forgotten about.

"B-Birds?" she whispered to herself.

Zelda attempted to open her eyes, only to be blinded by the bright light she had thought to be her own power.  Keeping her right hand high, she used her free arm to wipe her eyes before slowly beginning to open them again. The light blinded her once more; however, she forced her eyes to stay open as her vision slowly  returned, revealing the back of her hand that she had kept raised. Rays of the light shone through her fingers; yet, the odd, incandescent symbol that had appeared upon her skin had vanished. This was not her power.

Slowly and cautiously, Zelda lowered her hand, wincing at the increase of light before staring in awe at the expanse of blue above her. A pair of flying creatures flew across the seemingly endless space, subconsciously causing her eyes to track their progress. She saw puffs of white drifting aimlessly as a gentle breeze lightly caressed her body. She couldn't believe it. It almost felt as if she didn't even remember that it had looked like this. She hadn't seen the sky in so long. She slowly pushed herself to her feet. She looked over the edge of the yellow, stone-crafted tower and out across the lands. She could see the grass of the green fields flowing in the breeze, small ponds lightly rippling, and the leaves of the trees dancing to their own rhythm. She looked beyond the fields and gazed at the mountains, which were nearly invisible  in the brilliance of the risen sun behind them. Everything seemed to have a glow to it, from every blade of grass carpeting the field  to every leaf that sprouted from the tree's highest branches. This was her home. She was in Hyrule outside of her tower.