Don't worry, this finale won't just be one chapter! I won't keep you waiting, enjoy!
-Jooostan
A Terminian and the Twilight of Danger
Chapter 25: Siege
The early morning was met with the chirps of birds. As one landed in the grass to peck for insects, it quickly flew away when it sensed something large. A low rumble made the ground shake. Loose dirt and pebbles rattled as the source grew closer and closer.
Epona, flanked by a horde of Gorons, all curled up, raced through the field and towards the desert. Atop of the fine horse was Link, Romani, and Jim, with three fairies orbiting their heads. For most of the trip, the riders kept silent, all thinking about their destination.
Following close behind Epona were another three horses. Emblazoned in royal armor, these steeds helped six royal guards and a special trio of Gerudo also make the trip. Getting their assistance was a little difficult, but it was worth the trouble. The hero wanted to help the Gerudo get justice for their terrible dreams courtesy of Bellum.
One of the white stallions caught up with Epona. Link turned to face the riders. Flavi, Ante, and Kyojin.
"Hey Link! You sure we're going to the right place?!" Ante asked, still a little nervous to be returning to Gerudo Valley after all this time.
"Sure of it!" Link said, staying focused. The Gerudo trio gulped simultaneously and looked back to their horse.
Epona, along with the Gorons, slowed down once they came into view of Gerudo Fortress. Uncurling, Link the Goron approached the loyal steed and looked to her riders.
"So, just beyond the Haunted Wasteland?" Link the Goron shouted.
"Yep! Don't worry, you won't sink in the sands, I promise." Link knew if the Gorons kept rolling, they'd get past the deep sands no problem. And from the looks on the wasteland beyond the giant wooden gate, there wasn't even a sandstorm to impede them.
After a quick talk to the gatekeeper, the group were permitted to pass. Dismounting from their horses, they were beckoned away to go into the care of the Gerudo. Link trusted them with Epona.
"The rest of the trip is on foot. The Gorons will need to take the lead and keep going fast to avoid the sand." As the large group entered the Haunted Wasteland, Link pointed to the first pit of quicksand. The Gorons rolled through with ease and waited for the others to trudge past.
"Psst, hey Romani!" Jim leaned over to the ranch woman.
"Hm?" Romani faced Jim.
"You think if you set your arrows in fire that they'll be able to blow up bombs in mid-air?" Jim reached into his bomb bag and pulled one out. The fuse wasn't lit, thank goodness, but just having one out before the Bomber had to just made the Clock Town guard weary.
"R-Romani thinks so. Just be careful!" Romani held out a finger and gestured for Jim to put the explosive back. Looking glum, the leader of the secret society of justice placed the bomb back into the bag.
"I see it!" Kyojin called out. She was a bit ahead of the rest, and she was the first one to spot the landmark that told them they were close to the Spirit Temple. The two sets of poles just after that mysterious structure. Everyone grew tense as they passed the makeshift marker and came into view of the edge of the vast desert.
Squinting his eyes, Link kept on a look out for the gargantuan statue that stood out from the rest of the rocks. The Desert Colossus. When he finally saw it, his heart skipped a beat.
Everyone paused once they saw it too. At the crest of the dunes, they could see the Spirit Temple in the distance. Jim and the Goron named Bladon approached the hero in green.
"I have the flower seeds!" Bladon said holding two of the many large sacs. Jim followed the statement by opening his bomb bag and taking one out, keeping the fuse unlit.
Link was anxious. Everything was ready. They were right there.
"Jim..." Link said to his friend. The Bomber looked his way. "When it's noon... no matter what happens, you blow it."
Jim was stunned. He wanted to object, so no to that idea. But he knew that Link wasn't going to take no for an answer. It was how it had to be. Without another word, he nodded, and the group started their way down the hill.
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Dark Link strode down the halls of the temple, heart filled with merciless anticipation. He readied his sword and fantasized about how much pain those mindless puppets in the prison chambers could endure. He had a good feeling about today, and he wanted to relish in his duties. As he was making his way through the temple, he heard distant voices. Ones all too familiar. His senses peaked and he got down behind a wall to listen carefully.
"Jim, you and the first squad bomb that crawlspace so we can get to that part of the temple!" A voice ordered. That voice couldn't be mistaken. Link.
"Ah... it's time." Dark Link muttered to himself. He flinched at the sound of an explosion and turned around.
More explosions rocked the temple, and before Dark Link even met up with the witches, portals opened. From the tears in reality came the corrupted monsters from the cells. They landed with an untamed vigor, hungry for violence. Their minds, all captive to the magical sisters, had no more free will.
The squawks and grunts by the monsters could barely be heard. By the time they reached distant ears, they sounded so distorted that they were nearly incomprehensible. Racing down the musty halls, Dark Link made it back to the witches.
"Where were you?!" Koume demanded, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Was going to give our captives some more encouragement, but then Link arrived." Dark Link snapped back at the old hag, furious. "Do you have my weapon?!"
"Yes! A replica of the imp's staff!" Kotake flew down from above and handed Dark Link the golden staff. Its luster was just as potent as the real one. The shadow gripped it with malicious intent and then ran back from where he came, ready to lead the monsters against the siege.
Pebbles fell from the ceiling after every rumble. Explosions, most likely. Dark Link wondered what on earth their p;an was. Just blow the temple to hell? That could be it, but something so straightforward was bound to have holes.
A few of the monsters appeared from portals haphazardly located in places far from the enemy. Dark Link, passing by, rounded them up and ordered them to follow. They did so with utmost obedience, unable to protest against it. The darkness was soon followed by a growing army. When the race down the dusty, orange halls stopped, he had found his target.
Link, Romani, Tatl, Ante, Flavi, Kyojin, only half Goron's, and three of the Hylian guards faced Dark Link and his troops. Both factions stood motionless for a second, their leaders eyeing the other. The Defender of Faith spotted the staff Dark Link held. A physical mockery to his friend that the darkness clutched. He scowled.
"Die!" Dark Link screamed, pointing the staff towards the small army. The beasts all hollered their own cries and dashed towards the heroes.
Fighting broke out. Some of the monsters purposely stayed back and waited for some of the Hylians to approach instead. From there, they took the fights down the winding halls. Soon enough, only a few were left in the room they had met in. Link, Romani, Flavi, and four Goron's.
A trio of Moblins emerged from the corridor behind Dark link. He beckoned them over with a wave of his hand and whispered something into their ears. Without the need for more orders, they had a plan of attack.
The hero kicked the Lizalfos in front of him away and was able to parry the first Moblin's spear with his sword. He reached into his bag and picked out a light arrow. Holding it steady with one hand, defending with the other, he activated it.
"Romani!" Link yelled to his girlfriend. She turned to see him, and he chucked the arrow over to her.
"Thanks, Grasshopper!" Romani cheered, before firing the arrow at the Moblin. It struck the beast, and all the darkness fell away. The couple repeated this technique for the monsters attacking Flavi and the Gorons.
"Damn them..." Dark Link mumbled. The other two Moblins had kept their distance, taking care in dodging the light arrows that came sailing their way. Together, they jumped Link, forcing him to keep light on his feet.
The darkness watched Link fight. It was almost admirable. He slammed his shield against the first Moblin, kicked its leg, then swiftly lopped the tip of it's weapon off the handle. His movement was smooth like water, grabbing another arrow, igniting it with light, and throwing it to Romani. The Moblin was then cleansed, much to the darkness's chagrin.
Knowing that he'd be next if he stayed, Dark Link dashed back down the tunnels. His escape didn't go unnoticed. Tatl's brow furrowed, and her light went from a white to a deep red. She started ringing off the hook.
"Ahem! Link!" Tatl alerted her companion.
"No! Makade!" Link shouted. "He's getting away!"
The last Moblin had another one of Romani's arrows fly into its torso, but it didn't care. Its only target was the boy in green. Before it could swipe it's spear at him, Flavi pounced, clinging onto its shoulders and straddling its neck. She bashed her fists on its face and looked to the hero.
"Go! Me and Romani have got this!" Flavi urged Link to pursue the darkness. Giving a knowing nod to the ranch woman, he retrieved another light arrow and lit it. As he ran off, he threw it behind his back, and it landed right in Romani's hand.
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"Come on! We need to get these buds planted!" Link the Goron called to his Sworn Brothers. A collective grunt was heard, and they doubled their pace. The young Goron smiled with pride as he planted another bud himself. Luckily, they were taking to the desert rocks just fine.
Jim reached down into his bomb bag and prepped another explosive. All the walls in their way was perfect to test his new toys. He ducked for cover and put his palms to his ears, waiting for the sound.
It came just on time. The ground shook and rocks fell. Jim stood and looked with excitement. Another hole, another room to plant. The Bomber looked to Tael and Navi, who were flying right by his side, and they knew what to do.
"Guys! Hurry it up in there!" Tael flew back and yelled to the Goron's. Link was the first to be seen, and he was followed by the others.
"Jim needs us!" Navi added, urging the Goron's along the right path to the Bomber.
"Where next?" One of the Goron's asked eagerly. Jim and the fairies just chuckled at the notion and observed the room.
They had blown their way through the temple in a bizarre way, having slowly made it upwards. The room itself was strange, holding many spike contraptions and Beamos that were perched around where they entered. Large, silver rupees were scattered around, and a light from the adjacent wall illuminated the room. The torches were out.
"Let's handle the Beamos first, then plant the seeds." Jim said, handing the Goron's some bombs. He was almost out, but he'd be able to take out each Beamos with a bomb and have a few more to spare.
Explosions were followed by explosions, and the Beamos were taken care off in record time. Jim's heart felt strong. An ambition that he'd been chasing for years finally seemed to be fulfilled. He was a hero, just like Link.
"You did amazing!"
"So fast! How'd you do that?"
Jim beamed, but his mind told him to not get lost in the praise. He had a job to do, and he was going to make his friends proud. All of them. He pointed to certain places in the room and the Goron's quickly planted the buds where they had to be.
"How do we get through these bars?" Bladon knew they were impeded by the barrier keeping them from the next room. Jim concentrated and decided to take a different approach.
"Let's light the torches!" Jim said, thinking how Link would. A few Deku sticks later, the torches were ablaze, and the bars lifted. Cheers were shared and the group kept moving.
The next hall was short. Only two buds would be needed, so it was a quick job. However, the next door paved the way for a bigger challenge.
The team was taken aback by an enormous chamber. It held many entrances, by the centerpiece of the whole room was the massive statue of a Gerudo woman in a meditating pose. It was beautiful, but the group had to keep their minds on what mattered.
"This one may take us a while..." Link the Goron muttered, eyes darting around, trying to calculate the best places for buds.
It was a little hard to concentrate with the distant sounds of fighting. Swords clashing, monsters roaring, and yells of pain and victory everywhere. Wherever the monsters had taken their battles with the rest of the Hylians and Gorons must be leading them here.
Suddenly, there was a sight that caught everyone's attention. A distant door opened, and Dark Link emerged in a desperate sprint. Jim froze when he saw the weapon he was carrying. A moment of blind rage seized him, and he pulled out a bomb and threw it as far as he could. It bounced high in the air and landed right at the darkness's feet. He only had a second to react before it exploded, sending him careening into the great statue.
Dark Link fell to the ground, and the staff clattered just a little bit away from him. He scrambled to grab it, but a familiar boot slammed down onto it. Makade looked up in annoyance.
"Why can't you just be a good boy and die..." Dark Link grumbled, staring up at Link.
"You first." Link countered, bringing his arm up and slamming the hilt of his sword into Dark Link's back. The shadow groaned and then the hero picked up the staff and threw it aside.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Link yelled, picking up his darker side by the collar. Jim's eyes widened and he knew that his friend was getting overcome with emotion.
"Link! Don't!" Jim begged his friend not to continue. His plea snapped Link out of his rage for a second, and he turned to look at the Bomber. The gaze they shared proved to be a mistake.
Dark Link sent his fist into Link's gut and then shoved him back. Then he started going crazy. His arms went flying and he unleashed all his hate on the hero in green.
"Get away from my friend!" Tatl swarmed Makade's face and blinded him, ringing in his ears. The darkness thought he was above being pestered by a fairy, so he swatted her away with a blunt force.
"Sis!" Tael yelled as he saw his sister get smacked like a bug. She sailed across the room and stopped when she hit the wall, falling to the ground unconscious.
"TATL! NO!" Navi screamed in horror. Her memory went back to when her wing was cut by Bellum, and fear swelled in her heart. Her mind prayed Tatl was alright.
"I got you!" Link the Goron didn't waste his breath. He curled up and rolled off of the platform he, Jim, and the other Gorons stood on and sped towards the duo.
Dark Link screamed as he went flying again, the Goron having barreled straight into him like a Bombchu in the Bombchu Bowling Alley. He uncurled and helped his friend up, frowning at the blood trickling down Link's cheek and his bruised chin.
"You alright?" Link asked Link, the hero dazed.
"I-I'm alright..." The hero grunted; his mind scrambled from the relentless punches. He needed a second to reorient himself, but he was fully alert when he heard Dark Link cough painfully.
"You NEVER give up, do you?!" Dark Link roared. He stamped his foot down and a portal opened above him almost automatically. A weapon fell through and landed in his palm. The Giant's Knife.
"Get the bastard!" Navi ordered Link, enraged that her lover had been hurt by the shadow.
"Don't worry..." Link said, standing firmly. He unsheathed his Gilded Sword and took long strides towards Dark Link. The shadow followed, and their swords met in the middle, a metallic screech ringing through the air.
Jim and Tael watched as Link and Dark Link's sword fight gravitated through the chamber and neared a certain barred door in the middle. Without any interference, the bars lifted, and the door slid open, allowing the fighters through without hindering their battle.
"Hey, wait! No!" Jim jumped down to the main area and tried to follow the fight. As he got into view of the door, it abruptly closed and became barred off. Clearly whoever was manipulating the temple didn't want anyone to join the hero.
"Ugh! Alright, let's finish setting this up! We still have half of the temple to cover!" Jim begrudgingly turned back to the group of Gorons. They all smirked at his orders and climbed down to survey the massive room.
The sound of another door opening made everyone tense up. Luckily, only Romani, Flavi, an exhausted Kyojin, and a Hylian guard rushed through and onto an above platform.
"Hey! Where've you guys been?" Jim shouted to the group across the room.
"Got into some trouble with Moblins!" Flavi yelled to the boy in the red bandana. The ranch woman searched the group in the distance with a frightful desperation.
"Where's Grasshopper? Last time Romani saw him, he ran off after the darkness!" Romani was the first to jump down and join Jim on the bottom level.
"He and that coward went through there. But the door's blocked. We can't follow." Jim pointed to the barred door dejectedly and stared at the ground in defeat.
Romani narrowed her eyes, but knowing what Link was fighting, she had faith in him. He'd come back alive; she just knew it. Determination filled her heart, and she smiled proudly as she turned back to Jim.
"How many bags of buds are left? Romani can take them through the rest of the temple!" Romani had a decent understanding of the layout of the rest of the temple, having ran through it for what felt like forever just over a week ago.
Jim noticed the look in Romani's eyes and ran to a Goron to grab three more bags, all filled to the brim with bomb flower buds. He handed them to Romani, who in turn, handed one to Flavi and another to Kyojin. "I'm sure you know good places for these."
"Yes... Yes we do." Romani replied, already thinking of some great spots that'd bring a lot down.
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Sparks rained in the floor with almost every clash of the blades. Link parried one clash and tried to swing downwards. That attempt was blocked, and then he had to defend his chest from the Giant's Knife. Their fight was like a dance, always being met with a great move to follow into the next. All it caused was more frustration.
The terrain he was walking on was a bit different, so the hero briefly glanced down. A giant, grey stone with the Gerudo symbol etched into it. He remembered that stone, and the corresponding hallway he and Dark Link were within became clear. It was the one that had that elevator leading right to the entrance to the temple. Why would they be fighting here?
The hero in green was caught off guard when he tripped, and his back landed right in the pointed edge of a stair. He quickly rolled sideways to avoid the life-threatening slash of the Giant's Knife. The blade missed and bore into the steps.
"RAAAGH!" Dark Link emitted a guttural yell and tore the sword from the steps and tried to strike again. It missed, his target rolling the other way.
Link raised his boot and kicked Dark Link between the legs. With only seconds to spare, the teen crawled up the stairs and nearly fell down the whole that held the elevator.
Dark Link recovered and chased his opponent once more. He swung with a mad rage, scraping the walls of the cubed room more than actually hitting Link. When he let up to catch his breath, he kicked a protruding stone and suddenly the wall just opposite the stairs started to rumble. It lowered, showing the way higher with the help of a staircase.
"There's a lot about this temple you don't know!" Dark Link said in a crazed manner. His mind seethed with hatred, and he swung the Giant's Knife again. It met the Gilded Sword, and Link did his best to ascend the stairs while fighting the dark swordsman.
The fight on the stairwell was grueling. Link kept in mind the cost of tripping on the steps. If he was careless, it may end with a blood slash across his body. Dark Link would win, and he feared that if he lost, things may go down a darker path.
The blades scratched the claustrophobic walls repeatedly, making rocks chip off and bounce down the steps. Each scrape left a message, conveying how desperate a battle there had been. The Link's eyed each other, focusing as they brought their respective swords against the other. All they could bring their thoughts to was how much they wanted to kill the other. The calmness that used to layer Dark Link's eyes was long gone.
Finally the staircase ended, but it was in a very peculiar fashion. It simply stopped, no final set of stairs to lead to a bigger area. That was until Dark Link pushed another stone. He quickly got out of the way of something only he knew was coming.
A giant blast pushed Link back, and he was surprised to feel the heat and dryness of the desert air on his skin. Before he could move any of the rubble that covered his body, he had his collar grabbed by the darkness. Makade dragged Link from the rocks and threw him up and outside. There, the hero landed on smooth stone, unable to see due to the sun blinding him.
"At last, a proper place to kill you!" Dark Link's voice brought Link back to reality and he closed his eyes and rolled over. Finally able to see, he grabbed his sword that was thrown with him and readied himself.
One look around told him that he and his adversary were now on the roof of the Spirit Temple. How long that staircase was remained a mystery, but he didn't care. Birds squawked in the sky and the humid breeze kept Link's mouth dry. Other than that, it was somewhat nice to see the clouds again.
Link didn't get to admire the beauty of the world for long. His senses went crazy, and he jumped backwards on instinct. The sound of a sword whiffing the air let him focus on his opponent again.
"Always... distracted by the world. Your greatest weakness!" Makade taunted, panting as he bore his teeth and laughed hysterically. Link said nothing in response and just swung his own sword.
The fighters remained in a blade lock for just a moment before Dark Link forced them both to the ground with his own body. Before he could get on top of his lighter side, he tried to bash the hilt of the Giant's Knife into his enemy.
The hilt make a small 'dink' on the stone and the recoil hurt Dark Link's hands. Seeing a great opening, Link swung his Gilded Sword with all the power he could muster.
The blinding flash of sparks was more intense than anything that had come before. But the sound of the Giant's Knife finally shattering was the sweetest of all. The Gilded Sword proved to be the best weapon Link had ever wielded, as it cut through the knife of the Goron's with a swift passion. When the pieces clattered to the ground, Dark Link stuttered in complete disbelief.
"Brittle thing." Link repeated Dark Link's own view of the Giant's Knife, a slight cockiness in his voice. Tatl was rubbing off on him too much. Tatl.
Link's head was fueled by more and more reasons to exact his revenge on Makade. For Skull Kid's demise, the Goron's raid, and Tatl being smacked away like an insect. All the pain was due to his own darker side, and he could hardly resist the thought of vengeance.
Dark Link quickly drew the darker Gilded Sword he'd kept on his back. He knew that the Giant's Knife would fail eventually, but it didn't matter now. This was going to be a fight to the death, and he was determined to survive.
The swords met again and again, clashing continuously. It would've been a spectacle to behold if there were any observers to watch. Unfortunately, it was just Link and his shadow. Their fight wouldn't be seen by another soul, except for the birds flying by. The wind howled and their hair flowed in the wind. The golden locks with the silver portion to the side were drenched in sweat, but it was secondary to the task facing the Hero of Termina and Time.
Both sides of the same person fought for dominance. Their weapons swiped in the same way, either missing in an almost purposeful manner, or coming together equally, the same amount of power flowing through each blade.
Emotion filled the dry air as the boys fought. When Link decided to take a stance that was outside of his normal fighting style, that's when he got the upper hand. For the first time, he held his sword steady and defended carefully, keeping it perpendicular to his body.
Dark Link was expecting another aggressive slash. When he was greeted with nothing, that's when the opposing force came. It knocked the darker sword out of his grip, and it flew off the temple and into the unknown.
Link kicked his darker side down and held his sword outwards. The blade was just millimeters from Makade's neck. They stared into each other's eyes, waiting for one of them to speak.
Link didn't say a word, but Dark Link simply scoffed.
"You... you won't kill me." The shadow said in a snarky tone.
"Want to test that?" Link pushed the tip of the Gilded Sword into the side of Dark Link's neck, showing he was serious.
"You won't... Because I am the only one who knows exactly what is going through your head. You see... we are like brothers... I am the only one who understands you fully." Dark Link's words held a pinch of truth. The person who knew Link the best was himself.
Link thought for a moment. Only one thing came to mind.
"I had a brother." Link said plainly, guilt rising up his throat. "He was a Skull Kid."
Dark Link scowled and tried to deck Link in the face. For once, his own attack was filled with emotion. Standing up, Link blocked the next few swings the shadow tried to take at him. The Gilded Sword dropped to the floor, landing with a rough clang. Then Link himself kicked Dark Link down and he stumbled backwards.
"Wha-?! No!" Dark Link looked behind himself and could only see the edge of the top of the Spirit Temple. He tried in vain to keep his balance, but he teetered off.
Before he could fall, Link caught his boot. There, the two boys locked their eyes again. Time slowed to a stop, and it was just them. Both sides of one boy, facing each other.
"For Skull Kid, Link?" Dark Link snapped mockingly.
He waited for his counterpart to let go and allow him to die. What perplexed him was the fact that he didn't fall. He didn't descend into death, he didn't hear a cry of victory, he didn't even feel a feigned losing of the grip just to instill fear. There was nothing. Link kept the darkness safe and close to him.
"Yeah... and... for me." Link admitted.
At last, he let go.
A long scream came from Dark Link's mouth, slowly getting further away. The second the sound vanished from earshot; a thud followed. It was a satisfying sound to hear. Link scrambled back to the edge, just to make sure it was really done. One look at the ground confirmed his thoughts. Makade was finally dead. His corpse lay battered and bruised in the sand, completely lifeless. His body even started to sink slowly into the wastes. A fitting grave.
"I..." Link panted and looked to the heavens. The sun beamed down on his exhausted body. He huffed heavily, trying to think of something to say to the sky. "I did it."
Something inside Link's heart felt at ease. The evil, even though it had been separated from his physical body, still always clung to him like a disease. Now, he had been freed. All the anger, hatred, and desire for revenge died with the darkness, and the Terminian was at peace.
Link decided to do something that he never thought he would. Standing straight, he got the Ocarina of Time out. Blowing into the instrument, he played the Song of Healing for Dark Link. The soothing power, even if it was far away, eased the remnants of the shadowy soul. The dark figure's body slowly faded away, turning to dust and getting lost in the sands.
But then the broad cackle of the witches invaded his ears. It reminded him that even though his shadow was defeated, it wasn't over yet. He still needed to carve himself a pair of witches.
"We knew that shadow was worthless!" The voice of Koume screamed. It was a filthy lie. Had they no respect for the dead? Everything their plan had rested on was gone, and now it was all falling apart. Still, she remained confident she could kill the boy.
"Come and face us! It won't be too long before an old friend joins the fun!" Kotake's voice added, filled with the same empty confidence that Koume's was.
Grabbing the Gilded Sword from the ground, Link accepted the challenge and ran back to the stairwell that led him to the top of the temple. He was ready to vanquish the ultimate evil of Hyrule.