Link looked Impa in the eyes. He knew he had to tell her what was going on. She had to know the truth. But did he have the strength to do it? Trying to hold back, he turned on the Sheikah Slate and showed to the elder the album containing all of the photos Zelda had taken. Every single one had been marked with a little icon.
"I found all the memories," he told her.
Impa looked at them all, then back at Link.
"And? What did you see?" she asked.
The Champion was silent at first, before saying.
"Nothing of importance."
Impa suddenly spoke up in a much more stern tone: "That does not answer my question. What did you see?"
"I saw... pain. So much pain. And the end. I saw my failure to defeat Ganon, how the sword that seals the darkness refused to work..."
His voice began to crack, as he couldn't hold back the emotion. The memories wouldn't stop, they wouldn't stop coming back to his head, reminding him of the blame he now carried.
"Is that why you have refused to speak to me earlier? Because you remembered something which was a fact you already knew about, that you died during the Calamity?" asked Impa.
"No!" Link shouted, his eyes starting to well up. "I-i failed them... The Princess, the Champions, the King, everyone... They all died because I couldn't stop the Calamity. They didn't deserve to suffer because of me!"
He clenched his fists. He didn't want to cry in front of her, how could he? He was meant to protect Hyrule. And yet, here he was.
"And now... Hyrule is doomed because I can't do the one job I had! What was the point in me finding these damned memories? So I could remember the fate I've doomed Z- the princess to?!"
Impa was silent, before saying: "Only if you stop right there. If you don't find the ending to the story."
"What ending? I've found all the memories."
"... Or have you?"
The old Sheikah got up from her stump, grabbing her cane.
"Follow me." she told Link.
Impa then led him back to Kakariko Village. Cado had fallen asleep by the wooden steps, snoring loudly as they passed him by. Entering the house, Impa looked back at Link.
"I believe it is now time. I will reveal the location of the final memory."
Link was confused. How was it that the location was not in the Sheikah slate.
"Here is what happened..." the elder began to explain, "Lady Zelda gave me specific instructions. She asked me to wait to show you this."
She walked up to one of the walls of her house. Upon it hung an almost lifelike depiction of a familiar place. A large field surrounded by mountains, dead guardians strewn about all over the place. Part of the area was swamped in from rain.
"This is the final picture." she told Link.
Link looked closely at it. He'd passed by it so many times before, he recognized where the picture had been taken.
"Does it look familiar? From this village, you should be able to get there in a half day's time."
She turned to Link.
"Now go, child. Seek out what the Lady Zelda has shown you."
Link looked at the picture. He hesitated for a moment. Would this memory make things right, like Impa said? Or would it simply affirm to him the truth of what he was: a lonely failure of a knight.
"What if this last one does not change anything?"
"Then you can return knowing you've done all you could. But maybe, just maybe... you can finally be who you truly are, Link. To find your cause once more."
Confused Link, looked at Impa. What did she mean by that? He already had a cause.
"Go now, Link. You will need as much time as you can get."
Deciding to take the leap of faith, the Champion nodded, before leaving the house. After waking up Epona, he got onto her back and rode off.
12 hours later
After riding out of the village, across the Kakariko Bridge, and through Blatchery Plain, Link got off of Epona. He'd found the place at last: a now rather moist and damp part of the plain called the Ash Swamp.
Leaving his trusted steed behind, Link slowly walked over to the location of the final memory. Reluctantly, he looked around. As he took in his surroundings, he began to remember. Of a time of fire and death.
Flashback
Link held Zelda by her arm as he led the way forward, the rain continuing to beat down from above, drenching them completely.
"If we can make it to Fort Hateno, we might be able to take shelter there," he told her.
Zelda breathed heavily as she tried to keep up. The two had been running since they'd left Hyrule Castle. Still, in spite of how out of breath she was, she did her best to keep up. Now especially was no time to slow down. It had only been several minutes before they'd heard the familiar sounds of Guardians, letting them know that they were being followed.
As they ran towards the distant wall of the fortress, Link suddenly heard something rushing towards them at top speed. Grabbing Zelda, he pulled her down as he ducked with her.
"Ah!"
A beam of blue light flew over them, hitting a nearby rock and shattering it to pieces in a ball of flames.
Getting to his feet, Link looked back. The horde was here, and they were ready to kill. Many Guardians were already attacking the fort, as the defenders atop the wall did their best to hold them back. The rest however, focused on the two as they stood alone in the field.
Knowing that there would be no reinforcements coming to save them, Link got up to his feet and drew the sword of evil's bane and his royal shield.
"Whatever happens, stay back, princess." he told her.
"Link, you've never fought any of the Guardians before, you don't know what they're capable of!" Zelda said, trying to warn him.
"It's time I found out then."
A Guardian stalker came scuttling towards them. Raising one of its many legs, it thrust it forward, baring its sharp metal claws. Link quickly raised his shield to block the strike, as he swung his sword down on the robot's leg. It hit it with a clang, leaving barely a scratch in its limb.
Taking aim at him, the Guardian opened fire with another blast. Raising his shield, he swung it just as the beam made contact, sending the blast back at the mechanical monster and instantly destroying it as the beam pierced right through its eye.
"So that's the weak point." he realized.
Looking around, he spotted two more Guardian stalkers headed his way. Getting ready, he raised his shield and prepared to reflect another blast as he saw the machine begin to take aim and charge up.
Unfortunately for him, he waited too long to swing back, as the beam ricocheted off the shield, shattering it in the process.
"Gah!"
Zelda ducked as another beam flew by her.
"Ah!"
Regaining his balance, Link looked at what was left of his shield. From the state it was in, it was useless. Frustrated, he tossed the remains aside, as he gripped his blue hilted sword in both hands.
"Grrr... YAH!"
He rushed forward at his adversary. The Guardian raised one of its legs jabbed at him with his claws. Link attempted to evade, but one of them ended up grazing the left side of his face, leaving a bleeding cut on it.
"Agh! HIYAH!"
Leaping onto the Guardian's lower body, Link thrust his blade into the machine's eye. Pressing as hard as he could, he drove it through, right into its head. The sounds of machinery within the robot died down, as it collapsed to the ground, dead.
Giving a quick glance back, Link suddenly realized that this was only the beginning. The two Guardians he'd just fought were a distraction, as several were closing in on Zelda.
"Link!" she cried out, panicking. Rushing forward, Link quickly ran back to her leaping in to strike one of the Guardians' legs back as it attempted to grab Zelda.
"Stay behind me!" he told her, as he charged her attacker.
He was about to repeat the same maneuver he'd done on the previous Guardian when another leg suddenly sprung up and pinned him to the ground.
"Argh!!"
Link felt its metal claws dig into him, leaving three gashes in his chest as he struggled to get it off of him. The Guardian stood still and took aim at Zelda, having now neutralized the only threat that stood in its way.
"Grrrr! No!"
Link began to strike the leg repeatedly with the sword of evil's bane, trying with all his might to break it. His blows were frantic as he desperately tried to break free. But alas, no matter how many times he struck, the leg would not break.
"Nrrrrggghhh!!"
As the Guardian began to charge up, the young Hylian began to break on the inside. He'd failed to protect his home, he'd let his friends die, and now... he would lose Zelda. Not the princess, Zelda. The person who had brought out the most of him, who had seen past the emotionless figure he tried to keep up, and who was the first to make him smile in years. He couldn't let this happen, he couldn't let Zelda die. Not after he'd lost everything else, she meant too much to him.
"Sword that seals the darkness, please! Help me now! I know I wasn't worthy to use you to defeat Ganon, but I need you more than ever!"
"I may not be worthy nor deserving of your power, but I beg of you. Help me protect her! I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she is safe. EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIE DOING SO!"
As the Guardian finished charging, the red pointer vanished. Zelda was on the ground, having slipped on the mud as she tried to run. Closing her eyes, she prepared to see the Champions again in the afterlife.
Right as it was about to fire, there was a bright blue flash of light from underneath the Guardian, as the sword of evil's bane sliced through its leg, knocking it off balance and causing it to miss its shot entirely. It recoiled as it scuttled back.
Rising up to his feet, Link pulled the Guardian's leg from his chest, ripping the claws out as he got into a stance. Zelda gasped in shock. The blade was glowing a bright blue.
"The Master Sword... Could it be...?"
"HIYAH!!!"
Link rushed forward, leaping at the possessed machine as he drove the blade into its mechanical body. The bright blade pierced through its thick armor, as Link carved through the body, all the way up through its head.
Just as that one fell, another one arrived. Link rushed in to do battle with it, the Master Sword's shining its divine, blue light. Two of its legs reached out, claws bared and ready to slice. The knight chopped one clean off as he felt the other cut across his side.
"Ngh!"
Disregarding the pain, he slid underneath the guardian. That was when he spotted a large, unarmored part of the guardian right underneath, giving him a full view of its core.
"Die!"
He thrust his blade upward, piercing through the vulnerable part of the Guardians and its inner circuits. Using the Master Sword, he pushed the robot up long enough for him to get out from underneath it with the legendary blade.
"Phew..."
He saw Zelda running up to him.
"Link! Are you alright?!" she asked, concerned. Her emerald green eyes widened as she saw the many injuries he'd sustained in the fight. "Oh Goddess! You're hurt! We need to get you to someone, quickly!"
As she said that, the two suddenly saw more Guardians their way. Link pushed Zelda behind him.
"Link, please, go without me. Even with the power of the Master Sword, you won't survive against all of them!" Zelda pleaded.
"I'm sorry, princess. But I am not leaving you." Link replied, as he steadied his stance. He felt her hands grip his sides as she tried to persuade him to leave.
"No! I can't let you die too! I relieve you of your duty!"
"I'm staying regardless."
"Why are you like this?! Why can't you think of yourself for once! Please, you shouldn't force yourself to protect me!"
"That's not why I'm staying." Link suddenly said.
"Huh?"
"I didn't understand why I felt this way about you before. I'm not afraid to die. Because I finally have something I want to fight for..."
He turned to her and smiled.
"You."
Zelda stood in shock. She was too flustered to know how to answer him.
"L-link... I-i..."
The knight back turned to face the Guardians.
"You mean so much to me, Zelda. I'll stay by your side till the very end!" he said affirmingly, as they began to close in on the two.
Gripping the Master Sword in both hands, Link charged forward.
"HIYAH!"
Standing alone, he fought the possessed machines like as if he were possessed. No matter how many times they hit him, he continued to do battle with them, destroying them one by one. He'd never felt such determination, such resolve before as he had now. For the first time in his life, he knew why he was fighting. Not because his enemy stood in front of him, but because the one he cared about was behind him.
He could feel the life inside the sword, a voice in his head telling him to fight on and to not give in.
As Link ripped the sword of evil's bane from another Guardian, he quickly leapt at the next one, stabbing it repeatedly until he finally destroyed its core.
"YAH!!"
Having finished off that one, he took the time to regain his grip on his surroundings. That's when he saw that Zelda was in trouble. A Guardian was aiming directly at her as she watched from behind a rock.
Realizing that the robot was too far away for him to destroy before it attacked, and Zelda was too far from him, he soon realized what he had to do. With only less than a second to decide, he ran forward.
The princess was confused as she saw Link sprinting towards her. That's when she suddenly heard something rocketing towards her, and the familiar glow of an energy blast. As she turned to see the shining beam of destruction headed right to her, she suddenly saw Link leap in front of her.
BOOM!
Lowering her arms from her face, Zelda looked to see Link, on the ground, having been badly burned from taking a direct hit from that Guardian. She gasped.
"LINK!"
The knight stumbled to his knees, his breath ragged and heavy. He could barely stand, having to hold himself up with his sword. Zelda ran over to him, trying to help him stay on his feet as he coughed.
"A-are you okay?" he asked weakly.
"Never mind me! Look at yourself!"
"I-it's only a few burns... I'll get over it."
Zelda looked up to see more Guardians passing through the fields. One turned its head towards them, as it began to scuttle in their direction.
"Link, save yourself, go!" she begged, desperately trying to get him to leave. "I'll be fine! Don't worry about me! Run!"
"Tch..."
With what strength he still had, Link used the Master Sword to force himself back up onto his feet. He held his ground as he saw the Guardian stalker crawl over the remains of its fallen brethren, look down at him and take aim.
Hardening his resolve and clenching the blue hilt, Link prepared for the worst.
"No!" Zelda suddenly shouted, as she stepped in front of him and pushed him back.
As she raised her hand into the air, bright, golden light suddenly burst forth from her palm, as a symbol of three golden triangles appeared on the back of it.
A blinding burst of the golden, divine light shot out from her hand, enveloping the entire battlefield. As the light died down, the Guardian in front of her suddenly collapsed, as the Malice within it was released, before vanishing completely.
All across the field, the same thing happened. Every last Guardian assaulting Fort Hateno deactivated, collapsing onto the ground as they died.
Lowering her hand, Zelda stood in shock.
"Was... Was that?" she muttered, "The power..."
A dull thud from behind her suddenly brought her back to her senses. Turning around, she saw Link fall to the ground, letting go of the Master Sword as it ceased to glow, landing on the ground beside him.
"No, no!"
Zelda rushed to his side, kneeling down as she tried to help him up.
"Link, get up!"
The young Hylian coughed as he opened his weakly.
"You're going to be just fine..." Zelda told him reassuringly.
Link looked at her. Looking at her face, he gave small, weak smile.
"I knew... You could... Do it..." he managed to utter.
"Link?"
"You're safe now... That's all that matters..."
And with those final words, he closed his eyes, as his body became limp and his head fell back. Zelda gasped as she realized he was gone. Laying Link down on the ground, she looked at his face, now empty and devoid of life.
Lowering her head, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. As she raised her head to look at him again, she began to cry, as she buried her face into his chest. Link, the person who had stayed by her side, who had brought her so much happiness, who had shown her compassion when she needed it the most, comforted her when the world had beaten her down and who had fought hundreds of enemies to keep her safe... was gone. It was too much for her to bare, the person she cared about so dearly, after he'd finally shown his true feelings, now lay dead as she cried into his chest.
As she was sobbing however, she suddenly heard a sound coming from beside Link's body. Looking up, Zelda saw the Master Sword's light, blinking as it made several sounds, almost as though it was talking.
She let out a small gasp of confusion.
"The sword...? So he can... He can still be saved?"
"Princess!"
"Huh?"
Zelda looked up to see Impa running towards her alongside two Sheikah warriors.
"Are you alright, m'lady?" she asked. "We were afraid you-"
"Take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection. If you don't get him there immediately ,we are going to lose him forever!" Zelda ordered them, not even caring to answer her friend's question. "Is that clear?!"
Impa quickly nodded, taken aback by how adamant she was in her tone.
"So make haste and go! His life is now in your hands!"
End of the flashback
Link fell to his knees as he took it all in, his whole body shaking from what he had just experienced. It had finally all come back to him. He began to finally realize what it had all meant. It was never about his duty and him getting stronger. He'd just been too stubborn to realize the truth, what the Spirit of the Hero of Twilight had tried to tell him. His feelings weren't what made him weak, they made him stronger. He now felt a new sense of purpose inside him. He was willing to go on, to fight for something he cared about, for the people he cared about.
Getting up to his feet, he looked at his hand. Tightening it into a fist, he then looked up at the remains of the Guardian that had tried to kill him all those years ago. As he stared at it, he suddenly heard Zelda's voice speak as though she were all around him:
"Link... Link. You have recovered all of your memories of us from 100 years ago... I am here... inside Hyrule Castle. It is now time for you to defeat Ganon."
Her message bolstering his resolve, Link ran back to Epona. He leapt onto her back and grabbed her reins.
"Let's go, Epona. To Korok Forest."
The horse whinnied as she rode off as fast as her hooves would take her. However, as they made their way to the Great Hyrule Forest, they didn't notice that they were being watched. A Yiga member watched as he left.
"Best I signal to the others. We can make him head right to his own death." he muttered maliciously, as he vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Unbeknownst to him, there was someone else who was watching both him and Link.
(To be continued...)
(Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you later, bye!)