Ch. 12
Phantom Glass of Hours
By: Cutegirlmayra (Yeaahhh~ I know it's been awhile, and I did a LONG stretch on that name thar... but I just had finals week XP and I'm really busy now! So sorry! x however, this story WILL BE FINISHED. I can assure you of that.)
Link placed his hand on the Pillar of Anger as Dark Link circled Zelda's body as it was released back into it's position above them and in the center of the circles. 'Two pillars down, two more to go.' Thought Dark Link, looking back to his other before he disappeared. Dark Link smiled, and floated back up to Zelda's side. Folding his legs and putting his hands under his chin, he gazed at her with a little amusement. "Soon..." he said softly, and reached to her to stroke her cheek, rubbing against it lightly, as if he actually cared about her frail state of being. "You won't have to suffer like this... but in a more... adequate manner." He smiled a devilish grin as he was about to move over her, and most likely, try for another kiss again before...
"RUFF RUFF!"
Navi dashed into the scene and started jabbing Dark Link in the face and then the stomach. "Offph!" Dark Link was forced back down to the ground, clutching his stomach with both arms. "I remember when you were barely able to escape out of my hand!"
"Silence, fool!" she tried to puff herself up to look mighty and powerful, and then spit at him in the air. "I don't fear you now that Link's here with me!"
"Really~?" he said, dragging the word out and sounding very sarcastic in tone. He flew up to her abruptly, and she fluttered with surprised uneasiness backwards, almost kicking her wings back like she was swimming in the air. "You think little Link can protect you, while he's trying to also protect Zelda?" Dark Link flew his face closer to the fairy's blue body. "Your just a furry little puff ball! You think he really cares if I squash you like the bug you are?!" the first bit of his words were precise as he kept inching closer to her. She weakly moved back, but you could tell the words were slowly sinking in. Then he almost roared as he clutched his fist in front of her and snapped at her as if he was going to eat her, and she quickly dashed behind the pillar of Anger with a 'yipe!'. He chuckled, as he continued with a much, softer approaching, gesturing to Zelda above. "Or.... would be care more about sweet, innocent, human, little Zelda?" he said these words with admiration, almost to the convincing of Link's natural voice when he's worried about someone, but in a mocking way of course.
"N-no... you don't know Link like you say you do! Or perhaps... you do know him, you may know him so well that you can lie so easily and twist who he is around! But that's just you isn't it? The twisted version of a hero!" She bravely screamed back at him.
"..Why you little..." Dark Link's eyes turned red. "I'll show you a twisted copy! HYAHHH!" he turned full shadow beast, his eyes glowed crimson red as when him and Shard had once fought for Zelda in the Dark world. His body now streaming with dark shadow energy as his teeth grew to that of a monster. He used his shadow hand ability to try and grab Navi out of the sky again, but she dodged, now flying through fright and worry as he kept at her. "Come, come, little fairy~"
"LINK! LIIIIINK!" Navi called out in tear stricken fear. Dodging every shadow extended arm and hand that came whooshing at her.
Link had entered the pillar, and looked around the strange new environment. It was a stone chapel of some kind, with a black knight giant that stood far from him, in the center of his line of vision.
Link drew his sword and waited for him to awaken, but nothing happened. So, Link took a step forward, again nothing. "hmmph.." he knew he had to activate the test somehow. He let his guard drop for a moment and walked around the room, exploring. He noticed how the walls all had weapons on them, giant weapons. "Best steer him clear of those..." Link strategized to himself. "Now.. where's the switch?" he kept looking around, under every nook and cranny of the place, but still couldn't find anything. On his knee, he wiped his hair out of his face, while also getting the sweat from trickling down to his eyes. As he placed back a bit of the stone flooring of the room into it's proper place, having no other place to search for anything to activate the strange giant, he seemed to be giving up hope. In frustration, he hit the stone wall nearest to him with the side of his fist, "Dang it..." he hung his head down.
The Gaint black Knight's armored head looked up, it's eyes immediately glowing it's black hue as it placed it's hands down away from the hilt of the sword. The earth shook as Link swung his head up slightly, looking around at the ground, and then up to the giant. It reached for it's sword, and swung it to it's side, then walked toward Link.
As Link took the master sword out once more to battle, music played silently behind the Giant's loud footsteps.
Come in~ Come in~ for within~ you will find a unholy end.
"And you are..."
"I am L-"
"MANNERS!" The giant swung his sword wildly around him once, silencing Link from speaking further. "I wasn't done speaking.."
"Sor-"
"SILENCE!" he swung his sword again, Link looked again, a bit upset. Even though he was trying to apologize...
"As I was saying... You are... Link. The Hero of Time, come to vanquish me and those alike to me. How your anger must fill you so.." The knight placed his sword down again, holding it as he once did when he was frozen. He spoke as a warrior, but still, he seemed short tempered and unsocial. "Link... tell me of your anger."
"I have none." Link had to really practice his patience. Knowing that he would first speak with the boss first, before killing it. However, he really wanted to just skip to the fight and hurry to save Zelda.
"I think you have mistaken me for the Guardian of deceit." The armored black Knight turned his head slightly. "If you will not openly share your frustrations with me, then I will make them known unto you." Link prepared himself for a long monologue... again. He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease himself of his tension that he had built up for the coming battle, and sat down.
"Ready when you are." Link humorous said, placing, boldly, his sword and shield down beside him and leaned against the stone wall of the brightly lit chapel. It was so bright, due to the fact that a giant hole was in the center of the ceiling, and walls had ancient drawing all over them, depicting what looked to be hylian religion.
The black Giant Knight chuckled and looked to the walls, "You can never be written down with your Legend, or should I say, Zelda's legend." He began. Link looked up to him, and then to the walls he peered at with hollow, smoky eyes. "No... even she does not recall hers, nor your, alternative future. You are doomed to forever be a 'forgotten' hero of such a future." Link looked down, not wanting to admit his longing to be renowned as a hero of time by all.
'Worry not, my friend, and my brother.' Spoke one of the voices within his mind. This one was the mature one out of all the other lives living within his soul, as Link recalled, it was the taller of them all. 'The future gives you your just rewards.. but through a different life.' Link noticed the voice that used to criticize him grew respectful, as if it had met and known of his sorrow concerning this thing before. Link looked back for a moment, and then shook his head slightly, not wanting to think of what or how that could be.
"Then there is your anger of not being able to save Zelda.."
Link looked up seriously to the black knight now, almost with a slight glare, as if telling the giant not to dare speak of that one.
"heh, heh. You think I fear your wrath? Only Ganon and his minions who serve him should fear that." The Giant said.
"Aren't you of that clan?" Link didn't seem like his usual self, in fact, he seemed to be growing more and more annoyed by the Giant speaking of his own feelings, things he already knew but not how to solve.
"RUDE!" The giant lifted his sword and slammed it down, Link was able to dodge, but now his sword and his shield were under the massive sword. Link looked up from the floor in a moment of worry, as the Giant, seeming wearily, yanked a mace off the stone wall, causing chunks as big as boulders to fall off the wall as he placed the new weapon beside him in the air.
"Oh, terribly sorry, were you not done?" Link was turning agitated, he realized he must of not slept all night, in fact, he didn't even know what time it was! Trapped within the crystal ball that was placed inside a old castle doesn't really help determine whether the sun is setting or rising at all! His anger wasn't really being kept in check, as he noticed this, he quickly took deep breaths, and tried to figure out a way to get to his lost items. As soon, as he possibly could...
"Your anger is getting to you, boy!" the giant let another fall of his weapon crash to the ground, smashing the floor tablets as Link dashed quickly away, though was his tunic was scraped in the process. "Ah!" he let out a cry of pain but it only lasted a moment, he quickly recovered as he slowly maneuvered his way around the giant being of rock hard armor, as it appeared to be.
"Zelda is suffering, and all you could do to protect her is leave her with a small fairy. Pfft." The Giant seemed to calm down, a surprising turn of character, but a lucky coincidence for Link. "Your other's anger could feed me well, but that fairy could do me more good."
Link couldn't stand this, he let all of his anger flow out of him due to weariness of spirit and not enough time to rest. "Enough of this! Why not just try to make me angry?! Isn't that your job? To gain power from me?! Stop telling me what I'm doing is wrong when I have no other alternative! Yes, I am upset that I can't always be there for Zelda! And yes, I'm upset that I can't protect her, or hyrule, as fast as I'd like too. But I'm human, and I can't keep fighting battle after battle like an immortal warrior God! I know of Navi's anger, but there's nothing I can do for that too! And of course I hate my other, he tortured the very reason why I'm a hero! My destiny, and my friend! I hate not being able to destroy Ganon again, right now, and be done with it all! But you, or anybody else can't judge me! I do the best I possibly can! I try what I can do, and I am who I am!"
The black Giant reeled mace back, "And who are you, Link? A warrior that fights through his wrath and anguish, or a hero who fights for wrath and anguish's sake."
Link didn't know how to take the meaning of the large knights words, but the mace was being swung down, and he was on the verge of tears. He took all the strength he had to jump to the side and dodge. In sorrow, he was covered with the dust of the floor tablets and there fallen pieces as the Knight took back his mace to the air.
'I cannot continue like this...' Link thought to himself through his tears, holding his head down with his hands to cover himself as he curled up upon the broken floor of the room. The light slowly fell to him, as the Gaint's head then slowly moved in front of it, readying for the last attack he'll need to end it all.
'What am I, if I cannot protect the ones I love, the land I care for so deepily?'
"You...Are then a fallen hero!"
"Arise! Play the Hero's reawakening! Let us be your wrath, and we shall fight with you!"
"Brother, do not let yourself fall to this manner of state, where is your pride!"
Link clenched the ground with his fingers, his eyebrows angled down, his face slowly rose out of the debris and anguish, his anger fueling him now.
"Let your want to protect, love, and serve the people and land you fight for be your strength and fuel, brother! Let your ancient spirit be your guide!"
He lifted up his ocarina to his mouth, on his knees, he began to play almost calmly, though his face suggested otherwise.
The mace was being swung, precisely above the Giant's head, reeling up power from Link's anger and aggression.
"Link...Link I believe in you..."
As Link opened his eyes to Zelda's voice resounding in his mind, still playing the song of the Heroes Reawakening on his Ocarina, The mace slowly fell to his exact location.
BA-BOO-WAM!
A blast broke the mace's powerful swing.
The Giant looked through the spilt and broken slits of pieces of the mace that wasn't even connected to it's hilt anymore. A faceless expression, stilling air, and one glowing being.
Link slowly rose his head, green life energy flowing all around him, his face was stern and cold. It was as if he showed countless years of experience and training in his face and eyes, that glowed green.
He then suddenly smiled,
another blast of life force sprang from his being,
causing the black Giant's Helmet to rattle, as the Giant tried to hide his face from the light. Shielding himself with his obsidian arm.
"What is this..? This... composure of anger and love? How can such things be combined?"
"It's called, fighting for something worth fighting for."
The Giant looked to Link, but it appeared as if he hadn't spoke. The Black Giant Knight seemed stricken with confusion.
"Ah-ah-ah, over here! Big boy."
The Giant turned around, to his surprise, another Link stood behind him, smiling. He was younger than the first Link, seemed more childish too. He waved a finger at the Obsidian Knight.
"Me and my brothers don't like you picking on our other life, it's awfully..." he took a big breath, puffing out his chest, "RUUUUUUUUUUDE!" he did an awfully good job at mimicking the Giant's words.
"Two heroes?" the Giant spoke in disbelief.
"Up top, Tracks!"
The giant turned to see other boys, all varying in size, hair design, and even a bit in looks. But all wore the same green tunic of the hero, and all seemed real enough to touch. Digging in the remains of the Giant's sword, a boy had tossed the Master sword and shield to a smaller boy, who leaped to catch the items.
"But... but how? Impossible!" The giant bent down to get a closer look.
The Spirit Link of tracks stumbled a bit on the landing, trying not to drop the large items in his hands as he fumbled to try and keep them together. Then stumbled over quite quickly to the present Link. "Here ya, go!" he said cheerfully.
"Thank you... friends." Link took a deep breath, and after his gratitude was returned with a bow of respect, he took the shield and sword and pointed it skyward. "Let's destory this rotten anger, from within here... and within me." The Links that the Giant suddenly noticed had surrounded him all pointed their swords up as well.
"Ha-up!"
They all said in unison.
"Wow, this is gonna be GREAT! I haven't fought a boss in four hundred years!" said one, and dashed toward the Giant, swinging his sword at it's feet.
"Ha! Don't lie! Your way older than that, you old man!" Another said, as they seemed to kid one with another, and slashed at the Giant's back.
"I call the bombs!" said one, racing over to a bomb flower that he noticed and picking it up with the sweetest little smile on his face.
"Watch out! Four's got the bombs!"
"Not another Armageddon."
"Hey!"
"This... is... not ... possible... where is the excessive anger I once felt course through you to my source of being? Where is the fierce hatred and sorrow of anguish? What has happened to your wrath?!"The Giant did not move, simple looked up. His voice was one of astonishment and unknowing wonder.
"When your with friends that believe in you... no... with just people in general that have faith and trust in you... your anger is not want they want. It's your heart and soul being willing to fight for them that is! I have forsaken my anger and replaced it with undying love to defend and serve hyrule and it's people. For their sakes, I will smite you to the earth." The present Link walked forward with the steps of a leader, and pointed his sword powerfully to the amazed Giant. "With a bond that is timeless, a friendship and devotion that is endless, I will eternally and forever, fight to vanquish all evil from this, or any other land that may ask for my strength. This is the vow of the Hero of Time!" The Links began to jump forward, one after the other, attacking with every kind of weapon known to time, every kind of attack, defensive, evasive maneuvering that only time could form and delete from existence. It truly was battle of the times.
The Giant fumed with anger, growing steadily, he lurched downward, shaking his fist, then burst from there attacks with a mighty war cry. Shattering the Links into a steadying battle stance, waiting for another opening or moment to strike, unyielding, again. There attacks as real as what seemed to be their flesh and bone.
The Giant grabbed it's weapons, using them as much as possible before flinging them to the side and attacking again with another, and another, and another!
"I WILL NOT FALL TO THIS MADDNESS OF SOME FABLED, MTYHTICAL MAGIC!"
"Oh, so he knows about the spirit awakening spell too?"
"I think he's just trying to say he won't fall to magical occurrences of unknown origin."
"...oh..."
"Yeah, I didn't catch that either..."
"Oh, good! I thought I was the only Link who missed that train!"
"Train!? Where!?"
The spirit of the time of tracks looked all around excitedly curious, until the Giant's weapon slashed through him.
"AuHH-AHHH!" was his last cry of pain as he seemed to disappear from the grounds.
"Tracks!" The present Link called out, looking worried.
"Worry not, Brother. Our wounded souls return to you, in need of much rest and recovery." Assured a Spirit.
"And what do I call you, Brother?" asked the Present Link, friendly of course.
"Heh, you may prefer to me as Twilight. For I was in the time of a Twilight Princess." Link recognized the voice suddenly as the one who had spoke to him with criticism earlier, and then respect. But before he could say anything more, the spirit dashed back into the fray.
"Brother!" another spirit called to him, "You must land the final strike! Hurry! The symbol of Anger shines on his helmet! Maybe a strike on the back of his head will do it!"
"Thank you, brother!" Link began to make his way behind the struggling Giant Knight.
"No problem! After all, I always wanted a big family full of my brothers!" the spirit dashed in front of the Giant, trying to distract him. "Over here, gee, you look like a Knight in shining armor, but as a fellow warrior, you sure do need a bath!" he flung a boomerang at him, and the Giant felt the hit and looked over to the young boy. "You've got dust, dirt, and soot all over ya, mister!" The Giant let out a roar and tried to swing a saber at the Link spirit's head. Slashing him through as well.
"YOUR ANGER CANNOT SIMPLY BE CHANGED INTO THIS JUST FIGHTING SPIRIT, LINK!" It roared out his name.
"That's 'Links', sir!" one striked at his knee, causing the Giant to fall.
"NOOOOO!"
"Now, Brother!"
"HYEAAHHHHH!"
The present Link leapt into the air and stabbed his sword through the metal, the legendary sword slowly used it's power it's pierce the Knight through, causing it's glowing, shadowy eye sockets to radiate with light, and then exploding the black, obsidian Knight's whole being.
"Yipee!" "alright!" "I feel young again!" The spirit Links cheered. "Your not even BORN yet! How can you feel young when you've been young!" "Oh, quiet you, I can dream of what it's like, can't I?!" "Now, now, brothers. L-l-let's not fi-fig-fight..." said an awkward looking spirit link who the present link recalled was known as 'Cappy.' To the spirit known as the Wind Waker.
"My brothers... no, my other lives... I thank you." Began the present Link. The other Links quieted down and stopped their tomfoolery and cheering for a moment. "I.. at first I thought it was ridiculous... heh. To be reborn, time and time again... I didn't know what to make of you.. or the voices in my head. But I'm.. I'm sure it's all for a purpose! I might not have read all of your legends with the goddess or princesses of destiny. I may not have seen all your glorious adventures or conquests, but I felt them today in battle. I felt who I was, who I will be, and Who I already am. And I thank you for saving me, and my soul, this day."
The other Links looked to Link as a comrade would to his friend.
"Aw, gee-wiz, haha! We only just wanted to help ya out.." said a small boy, looking like him in his childhood years.
"This will be the most formidable life we have ever had against the forces of darkness..." spoke one that looked familiar to Link. "I have fought the first end of the world, and I have witnessed you all, from the beginning, fight with every bit of strength you inherited from me and my experiences. In one time or another, I have whispered suggestions in your minds and hearts, and pointed you in the right direction of where you should go or do. This is no different, except that we're more.... Uh,... known unto you about it." The other links laughed, along with our link. "But for the most part, we will fight with you, brother. And we only wish one thing from you..."
The other Links looked confused, as did our Link.
"We do?"
"Course we do!"
"What is it that you wish of me?" asked our present Link, humbly.
"Well...." The Link walked up to Link, scratching his chin before turning around and putting his arm over Link's shoulder. "I've seen these lame brains lose it with there princesses, don't lose it in this life either, alright?"
"SKYWARD!"
"Uncool, bro!"
"It wasn't my fault! I swear! It was all a misunderstanding! It cleared after a year or so... give or take ..."
"Wa-wait... lose it with their princesses... how? In what way?" Link was genuinely confused, moving away from, what appeared to be, the spirit of the skyward times.
"You know what I mean..." the Spirit said and then winked at Link, "Don't lose her."
"Lose her?" Link rose an eyebrow.
"You know...." A Link went up to another Link and touched his face, "your so beautiful, don't ever leave me.." "Man, get off me!" "No, wait! Baby come back! You can blame it all on me!" "No, bro, this is going to far!" "But I can't give you up! I can't let you down! How could I ever run around and desert you!" "No, bro. No." the other Link placed his hand in the others face. "Took it to far man, and besides... I ain't your princess. She's in another castle." Suddenly the Link played along and snapped his fingers at the spirit Link next to him. "What!? Haha, well EXXXXCUUUSEE me, princess!" "Your excused, thank you. now leave my presence." The link shooed the other away. "aw, come on. That's not how she is you guys! Your demeaning her!" another Link suddenly intervened.
"You mean..." Link looked down for a moment. A little spirit came up to him, tugging on his tunic.
"Don't you love her?"
The other Links looked up to Link, as if expecting the words he would say already.
"Well, you do right?"
"I...I..."
Link stepped back, the other Link's suddenly looked at him with worry and disbelief.
"...Brother..?"
"I think it's best we go, for now at least."
"He's right, no more questions. We've over stayed are welcome."
"AWWWWW."
The other Links drooped down there arms and slouched over, saddened to have to leave there state of 'living' again. "Come on, hop it to now."
Link watch them all disperse into lights of light green and then watched how the lights of life force swirled through the air toward and within him. However he couldn't stop thinking of the young spirit Link known as 'Cappy's question.
Outside the pillar, Link's body formed and then instinctively he dodged the falling pillar, another chain was broken, but Zelda was in worsening shape then before.
"...Grr...What did you do? have tea with it? Talk about life's wonder and have a nice bottle of elixir? Well, DID YA!?" Dark Link was leaning against a wall, slightly shrouded in darkness until entering the moonlit area and screaming in Link's face.
"Wha-....What is wrong? Is Zelda alright?"
"Alright?..Alright..? Oh, yeah, she's fine! Look at her! only a hundred years of painful life suck-ion to a big over lord who already has half of Hyrule destroyed and burning to a crisped. Not to mention this land is completely dead now. But, no big deal." Dark Link explained with way to much sarcasm as he seemed to want to strangle Link on that very spot.
"What.." Link looked to Zelda, and then to Dark Link. "How long, exactly, does time go by while I'm gone?"
Dark Link shrugged, "Give or take a couple of days... hours just fly by in the dark world." He teased.
Link grabbed him quickly by the tuff of his undershirt, "No jokes, other. What has happened in my absence?"
"Pain, destruction, horror- like me to go on?" Dark Link faked a smile. Link shoved him away, and then rubbed the back of his head.
"Am I running out of time?"
"You ARE out of time. By the time you destroy the last pillar, you may have time to defeat Ganon and say... ehmm... one or two villages from his wrath, IF they managed to live without food or water for a couple of-FOREVER!" Dark Link opened a portal and shoved Link's head in it. "That's the world you once called, Hyrule!"
Link beheld through the portal a desolate world, the streams were dried up, the grass dead and still wilting into ash piled dust clouds along the plains, nothing could grow in that desert of a place. Link's head was wipped back through the portal. "No.. that can't.. that can't possibly be hyrule..." his heart sank, he didn't know what he could do but keep fighting, but was that even good enough anymore?
"Do as I say, defeat the last pillar's boss. Once Zelda's free, get her back to Hyrule. I have a small idea that may save you, your land, and seal Ganon away again!" Dark Link rubbed his hands together, as if he had another plan after that too.
"B-but.. I have to rest." Link weakly moved weakly backwards to the side of wall, and collapsed. "I don't have the strength any longer to-"
"You dare tell me your tried?" he was getting enraged again. "How I like to kill you right now..."
"You try defeating three bosses in one day, or however long it's been." He pushed his body up slightly and then let it fall to rest.
"You... you selfish little-!"
"I have no choice! I'm human, Shadow!"
Dark Link froze at the name, ".... How do you know my first name..?"
Link dared not speak another word.
"I said.. how do you know my-"
"Dark Link, enough... let him...uh.. rest..." Zelda weakly spoke, upon her frail body, Navi weakly wiggled her way to the side. "L-Link."
"Navi! What did you do to her!"
"Nothing! Just gave her heart a bit of a heart attack is all... but still, for Zelda to be speaking... in her state is..."
"I don't have long... please... Dark Link... aid Link. If he cannot complete the last test... perhaps you can..." Zelda coughed and Navi weakly moved away from it, hopping as she did so.
"Complete it? The pillar of Greed? Do you even know me!?" Dark Link motioned to her with exaggerated movements to himself.
"Link.. rest... Dark..uh.. Link... be unselfish... for yourself.. to be free from... ehugh.. your curse..."
Link looked to Zelda then to his other, "He won't obey you, Zelda. He is not like me."
"He.... And I... are connected... he must serve... me.." she faded slowly. Her life force moved irregularly. Both Links arose and came to her, "Links... I need you... please... help the other...serve me... please... please...ple..." she faded into a deep sleep again. The two Links let out a sigh of relief.
"She won't be able to last any longer..." muttered Dark Link, then looked to Link, seeing he was also fading in strength. 'I could kill him now...RUGHH! But I have to stick to my plan!' Dark Link approached the pillar of Greed, lighting touching it and leaning against it.
"Sha-..Dark Link...! What are you doing?"
"I... must serve a master..."
"What did she mean by, 'connected'? what happened while I was-"
"Watch her, she tends to fidget in her sleep. As if she was in a nightmare. I'm sure it's because she's worried about you." Dark Link stood up straight.
"....Dark Link... Do you... do you love her?"
Dark Link didn't say a word, but he looked back with a frown, and curled it into a wicked smile. "When you admit it first, then I'll let you know how I feel about your precious wittle princess." And with that, he disappeared and entered a strange voodoo hutt with questionable items.
(LOL, the dark knight xD "Where'd your anger go!?" Link's response, "What? Pff! That old thing? Dude, it was SOOOO two seconds ago~" -said that like a popular chick~ haha!)