The Legend of Zelda: Blood and Spirit

Chapter 21: Never Again

"Because you won't," Veress said, calling her bluff once more. "I know you, Sheik. You don't have what it takes to kill me."

"Wanna bet?" the Sheikah leader spat viciously as she drew her knife and poised it to strike.

The rebel leader simply laughed callously at this challenge, crossing her arms and smiling smugly. "Goddesses Sheik, you sure are taking his death personally," she said mockingly. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I might even say that you…" She trailed off upon noticing the expression on the still-loyal Sheikah's face, one that was a mix of rage and heartbreak. And as she saw this, a dark grin crossed Veress's face, one of pleased realization. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" she said in a slightly quieter voice, taking a step closer to Sheik, who still had her blade poised to attack. "You… and the goddess's chosen hero?"

Sheik's eyes widened as she took a quick glance back to Zelda, who was still engrossed in mourning over Link. "Veress," she whispered cautiously, knowing that there was no way the girl could find out about her hidden feelings for her hero. "How in the world did you-"

"You're not that hard to read, Sheik," Veress said, her cocky grin widening. "What I'm wondering is how in the world you possibly could have thought that you could have ever had a chance with him? You speak of me being a traitor, but what would our people, or should I say your people say if they knew that their honored leader was breaking one of their most sacred principles? What would the goddess say if she knew that you were secretly lusting after her hero even though the two of them are married? Or should I say… were…"

"Shut up," Sheik hissed sharply, grasping onto her knife even tighter as Veress let out an evil chuckle. "I mean it, Veress. I'm not joking around this time. I will kill you."

Veress ignored her threat as she continued to taunt cruelly. "Then again, I guess it doesn't matter now…" she said with a shrug. "After all, it's not like he'll ever find out now!" She broke out into gales of perverse laughter, enjoying the entire scene of anger and grief that was playing out before her. But at the same time, Sheik could take it no longer. As Veress was reveling in her victory, the Sheikah leader raced forwards and shoved her to the ground hard, pinning her down firmly and positioning her knife directly on her throat so she could end her life in mere seconds if she wanted to.

Veress's amused manner did not fade, even as she glanced down at Sheik's knife on her throat. "You're not serious," she laughed calmly, not showing so much as a single sign of fear or struggle. "I know you won't kill me, Sheik. You're too 'good' for that…"

Sheik's hand began to shake slightly for a moment as she briefly remembered all of the years of close knit friendship that she had shared with Veress, who had now become her greatest adversary. In truth, part of her didn't want to kill her, but another part remembered what she had just done to Link and that thought alone made all of those distant, fond memories fade away instantly. "No," the Sheikah leader said darkly, all mercy and fear vanishing as she pressed her knife closer against the rebel leader's voice. "I'm not. Not anymore."

Veress's casual grin slowly faded as she realized just how serious Sheik was this time. And so she remained silent to see just what the loyal Sheikah leader was going to do. However, as the two of them were having this exchange of hate-filled words, they both paid little mind to the girl, who still clung onto her lifeless hero, her heart shattered into a million pieces as she took both of his hands into hers, giving them a tender kiss to give them some semblance of warmth. Had it really been just a little more than a week ago that they had been united in marriage, in a union that was now broken by death? Had it really been just yesterday that they had spent the warm hours of the day together, encompassed in nothing but each other's company? Had it really been just this morning that they had laid in each other's arms, basking in the glow of the early morning sun and the love that bound them together? All of these happy moments started to fade into memory as Zelda brushed some of Link's whitened hair out of his face to give him a small kiss on the forehead, her hot tears dripping off of her cheeks and onto his. "I loved you…" she whispered almost inaudibly to him, hoping that he would be able to hear her in whatever came after death. "And I still do. I always will... You died too soon… Too early… But… at least we got to get married like I had always hoped we would… And last night… At least we were both happy together for a little while…" The girl choked out her last words to him in a sob, rife with deep sadness and emotional turmoil. "Link… I… I'm going to miss you so much… You meant more to me than anyone else… I've never loved someone as much as I loved you… and I'll never love someone as much as I loved you ever again… I hope…No, I… I know that we'll meet again… somehow… someday… But until then…" Wiping her face somewhat dry, Zelda leaned in and gave her fallen hero one final kiss, pining for him to kiss her back, even though she knew he wouldn't. "I'll try and go on like you wanted me to…For you…" she said with finality as she parted with him for the last time, though she did not relinquish her grip on his hands as she closed her eyes and offered up a prayer to the goddesses for him so they could guide his soul to peace and rest until the two of them could meet in another life.