Loria grinned as she leaned on a tall axe, using it as a support. Her glaring red eyes burned into Link's, and the hatred within them made him shiver.
"So, hero... Wait, isn't your name Link? Yes, yes it is. I remember Zelda was screaming it in her final moment, begging, praying to the Golden Three that you would come and help them. I see you thought coming in your pajamas was a good idea."
Link stiffened at her words. He didn't notice her comment on what he wore. He was too focused on what she said about Zelda; desperately, he tried pushing the mental images that sprang from her words out of his mind. They would only distract him, wouldn't they? Still, the horrid images of Zelda screaming in agony threatened to push him to tears.
But he couldn't cry. He couldn't let her see what she was doing to him. He couldn't let her see that, really, he just wanted to hide somewhere and cry. At the moment, it seemed pointless to remain in this world.
But he had to keep going, if not for himself, but for everyone else. He was to be a tool that Hylia could use to save her people in their time of need, and if he didn't have any other reason to live, he had that.
But right now, there was also Ghirahim.
Said person summoned his rapier, although he was fully aware that it would never be able to kill Loria. "You're fucked up," he seethed, his teeth clenched.
"Oh? I'm fucked up? I don't believe that's the case." Loria was calm as she removed her weight off the axe. However, her movements betrayed her; she had a slight limp as she moved, and for a brief second both of the men could see her face contort with pain. She was still injured. "No, what's fucked up is that you're a demon, yet you still serve a descendant of the goddess--the very hero you were supposed to kill. And now, you aren't even a demon anymore. Your being radiates the cursed light." She spat in Ghirahim's direction. "If that isn't fucked up, I don't know what is."
Ghirahim grimaced, only held back from rushing towards her in a blind rage by Link's grip on his hand. No one disrespected him in such a way. Not Demise, not Link, no one!
For a moment, Loria was still and silent, gazing at him with watchful eyes. Perhaps she was surprised that Ghirahim didn't simply rush toward her like a madman.Then she took a step towards the two. Link slid his sword out of the sheath, taking note that it had a slight, surreal glow in the darkness. He glared furiously at her; as Ghirahim had hoped, her words had only made him even more angry. Loria would pay for what she did to Zelda, Groose, and everyone else.
Loria clutched the axe, gazing at them with a careful expression as she slowly raised it.
"You act as if you're going to kill us," Ghirahim sneered.
He didn't even finish his sentence before Loria lunged at them. It was not humanly possible to counter or dodge her movements, and even then, for Link to block it would require luck. Swiftly, gracefully, she lunged towards them, the blood lust controlling her mind as it had often controlled Ghirahim's. Link only saw her as a blur, but Ghirahim watched her almost as if she was in slow motion; he could see her legs as they carried her towards them, he could see the way she yanked her axe up, how she almost seemed to be sliding across the ground. He swiftly moved in front of Link, who stared as if he wasn't even aware that she was moving, much less that he needed to get out of the way, and held up his sword. The blade shattered under the full force of the attack, leaving diamonds to scatter and vanish into thin air. Ghirahim stumbled back, falling on top of Link.
Link let out a choked cry as Ghirahim landed on top of him. For a moment, he was convinced that his weight had crushed a rib or two, but thankfully as Ghirahim quickly rolled off, the pain subsided.
To him, all of this had happened too fast. One moment, Loria had been there, the next she wasn't. And the next moment Ghirahim was on top of him and Loria stood over them, an axe held tightly in her hands.
As Loria moved to swing the axe down, they both rolled out of the way on opposite sides. Both hopped on their feet, Loria between them. Link jumped towards her, swinging the sword in his hands in a wide, upward arc. Loria jumped back, narrowly dodging the attack. Having exerted herself too much in that one attack, she wobbled on her feet.
She nearly chopped both me and Ghirahim in half a second ago, but now she can barely dodge that?
He swung at her again, driving her even further back. Ghirahim joined him, keeping a distance yet sending groups of daggers her way, the small blades sinking into her tanned skin and drawing out the thick, black blood within. She would try to snatch at them, but they would always disappear in a small explosion of diamonds before she could even touch them.
Growing tired of this, Loria's entire body seemed to fall apart, forming a thick cloud of mist that wasn't unlike the mist just outside the barrier.
In front of him, the mist changed into an eerie cloaked figure. It's semi-transparent form hovered before him, and its robes billowed out around it, caught by some nonexistent wind. It had no face or legs that Link could see, but its glowing red eyes gazed at him with glee as a scythe hovered beside it, as if held by an invisible hand.
"Damn Loria and her obsession with a fictional character," Ghirahim muttered.
Then it disappeared.
The first place Link looked was behind him, but it wasn't there. That was a first. This filled him with a dread like no other.
Ghirahim, too, looked around for this cloaked figure, but it was nowhere to be seen. In his hand, he'd summoned the larger yet duller of the two swords he often used.
Shrill laughter echoed in the air. A large fireball shot towards Link from his right. He had to thank the goddess that he heard the sound of oxygen quickly heating up and combusting, or else he would have already been screaming in agony as the flames consumed him.
Instead, the flames singed the back of his head and shirt. He rolled on the ground to ensure that he wouldn't catch fire.
Just as he stood up, the cloaked figure appeared and shot towards him, spinning wildly. Reacting as quickly as he could, Link swung his sword in hopes that it would hurt the thing. Missing it by inches, Link cried out and dropped his sword as the cloaked figure's scythe dug into his right shoulder, effectively rendering his sword arm useless. Had he worn his knight uniform, the injury wouldn't have been nearly as bad.
Gritting his teeth, he plucked his sword off the ground with his left arm, hoping and praying that he wouldn't be too clumsy to hit Loria.
Ghirahim deftly jumped away to avoid the figure before it disappeared again, its shrill laughter mocking their inability to hit it and infuriating them.
The figure threw another spell, this one resembling the spell that had killed Peatrice. Link missed it by inches. Ghirahim ducked to avoid it, much to his relief.
It appeared again, this time aiming to stab him in the chest. Quickly, Link stepped to his right to avoid it. He quickly stabbed at it; though sloppy, it went straight through the figure. As his sword pierced it, it let out an agonized scream and fell apart once more.
This time, the mist formed Loria again. In her hand was the large axe, which she clutched tightly, as if her life depended on it. But she was angry and weakened--she breathed heavily as she held her chest. Guessing that she was about to lash out, Link held up the sword defensively. He didn't know what she would do when she brought out her worst, and he honestly didn't want to find out, but he made an attempt to prepare for it. Ghirahim held his hand up as it began to glow; certain that it was time, he was summoning the power of the Light Force, and would soon deal the final blow.
Fuck, if she decides to attack, I'm gonna have to keep her down, Link thought as his eyebrows creased.
Just as he thought, she stood up, grunting as she hoisted her axe in the air. However, she didn't attack.
Instead, Loria chuckled. Her hair was a mess, filled with blood clots and tangles, as it fell about her shoulders. Her armor was strong, but dirty and blood. Ghirahim stared at her with wide eyes, knowing that her laugh meant that nothing good was about to happen, but remained focused on his spell. This concentration was broke a moment later, however, when a loud, jarring crack! ripped through the air. Gasping, both of them turned to the source--the barrier.
There was a large, glowing crack, and thick plumes of smoke oozed through, sinking to the ground. Loria was hysterical with laughter.
"Watch! Watch and learn what happens to those who dare to stand up against Demise, the Demon King, and me, the Demon Queen!" she shrieked, the madness in her voice seemingly distorting it. "See what happens to fucking idiots like you who think they own this world!"
The barrier shattered in a brilliant display of glowing white shards that flew through the air, their light only temporarily cutting through the darkness. Both men's eyes widened with horror of what was to come. There was no point in running; the smoke was upon them almost in an instant. It was like releasing a savage monster that would destroy everything it could touch. Loria vanished, but her laughter pounded into their ears, sending sharp spasms of pain through their heads.
Looking at the smoke, it would have seemed harmless. However, as it surrounded Link, engulfing him in darkness, it seemed as if it drove the air out of his lungs, digging to get down to anything that resided with him. He couldn't breathe. His chest hurt, pumping to and from air-deprived lungs.
There was no telling what Loria said--Link could hardly hear anything. He guessed that Ghirahim wasn't having too good of a time either, but he could see nor hear him.
Had she killed him like she said she would?
With his brain deprived of oxygen, he could hardly muster the strength to feel any horror or fear. He lost track of time, of where he was, or even what he was supposed to be doing.
Then, a small light broke through the complete darkness. Sure, he could see the outlines of various objects, but beyond that, his failing vision could see nothing. Spots danced around the corner of his eyes, clouding his vision. Then, suddenly, he was completely blinded by bright, yellow light. He squeezed his eyes shut, unsure of what that was or even if it was a good thing. He could hear a scream, but he couldn't tell who it was or if it was male or female.
Then he could breathe. The pain in his chest slowly subsided as he inhaled oxygen, not that strange smoke. He became more aware of himself and surroundings. He noticed that he had fallen onto his back and was now damp with sweat and morning dew. He slowly opened his eyes, unsure of what he would see. Overhead, the sun broke through the quickly dissipating clouds, bathing the woods in gentle sunlight.
Glancing over, Link saw Ghirahim wobbling on his feet, the glow on his hand fading.
And in front of him was Loria. She was surrounded by no smoke or darkness--it was just Loria, half her body scorched black. She lay on the ground, helpless, trembling, until she pushed herself onto her knees.
Link stood up, clutching the sword with a trembling and weak hand.
She wasn't scorched black. No, it appeared as if parts of her weren't complete. Where her arm turned a deep, smoky black, her armor and clothes also disappeared.
"You...I...I wasn't supposed to..." Her voice was weak; she sounded as if every word was a struggle. She broke into a fit of sobs. "He...he lied. I killed my g-goddess for him. I'm a traitor. Traitor!!"
She looked up at him. Her eyes were wide as she gazed at him, then at the sword he raised, preparing to deal the final blow. But he hesitated. Now, she was Loria. She was the Sheikah that had lead Hylia's army. When she glanced at Zelda, recognition flickered in her eyes.
Then she looked at Link, then his blade. It was frozen in middair, held there by Link's trembling hands, still postioned to stab her in the chest.
"You...the one with the Triforce...kill me. I'll never be human again. I'm a demon. I killed Hylia, of all people. Make me pay for what I did in the Spirit Realm."
Still, Link hesitated. He gazed at her with wide eyes. Even Ghirahim was frozen--perhaps he too understood that this wasn't the demon that had tormented him. This was someone else--the Loria that resided within that powerful demon, the Loria that had been oppressed and hidden for many years, until now. Until she was ready to die.
"What're you waiting for? I'll just suck the life out of you again! I'll just hate you even more! I'm nothing but a demon!"
Reluctantly, Link took a step towards her.
"Hurry up! Or do you want me to kill you? Is that what you want?"
Link stiffened, and took another cautious step towards her.
Growling, Loria got to her feet. Clumsily, she lunged at him, hands held out to grab him and throw him to the ground. Yelping, Link stabbed her, simply trying to defend himself.
She didn't scream. No reason to. For a moment, Link thought she grinned. But he had no time to work out whether or not it was real, for she dissipated into nothing.
He drew back, breathing heavily. At the moment, oxygen still seemed like a luxury.
Link stared where Loria had been moments before, still and silent. He could hardly believe that it was over; maybe tomorrow monsters would attack and they would find, once again, that Loria was still alive, and that this time she was actually stronger. And then they would have to find another way to kill her, or die.
But no. The field stretched out for miles and miles before them. It was dead, the grass was brown, and the trees were bare. No animals moved. Off farther to the west, they could see where the brown gave way to green, where the trees carried leaves, and where hopefully some Sheikah and animals had fled. Right now, however, all that mattered was that they could see the field and the sunlight.
He turned his head when he heard footsteps. Ghirahim approached him, looking exhausted himself. He had a cut running across his chest. It was fairly deep, but even now Link could see that it was healing. It was unlikely that, even as big as it was, it would leave a scar--aside from the cut, Ghirahim's skin was pristine and perfect, even after battling Link several times and losing.
"I think you can see how she got so powerful." Ghirahim motioned towards the field.
"Or how she broke the barrier." Link looked down at the blade in his hands. It had none of Loria's blood--it appeared as clean as the moment he'd gotten it. It still pulsed with light, but it was much dimmer now. He clutched it with a trembling hand.
"You're uneasy."
"I don't need you to tell me."
"Why?"
"Nothing important."
Still, Ghirahim tilted his head, expecting an answer.
Sighing, Link looked up at him. "It's just like last time. I didn't feel like it was over, and I don't feel like that now."
Ghirahim frowned. "You just killed her. There's no smoke, no mist. I can't sense her presence anymore. You killed Demise, too. It's over, Link. They're dead. Nothing will try to jump out of the shadows and kill everyone."
"I don't know. Demise...before Fi sealed him, he said that his hatred would be reborn again...and again. I doubted it when I first killed him...but what if he's right? What if he will be reborn, and what if I...or whoever...will always have to be there to stop him, or whoever he's considered then? What if the Master Sword or this sword never gets to rest because of that?" He shivered, remembering Demise's last words to him. They were a memory that had been buried for several years, but now as he stared at the destruction Loria caused, they resurfaced.
Ghirahim wrapped his arms around him, pulling Link closer. It was a risky move, to be sure, but Link seemed to accept it and leaned into his embrace. "I doubt he was telling the truth, Link. I would think he simply wanted to give you something to fear for the rest of your life."
"But I killed him, then something just as bad followed right after. Maybe in another six years, someone else will come along and I'll have to fight again."
For a moment, only a moment, Ghirahim couldn't think of an answer. Then, slowly, he shifted, bent his knees, and his lips met Link's. He thought he would be shoved away, but no, Link returned it, his fingers gently brushing the side of Ghirahim's face. Only a few seconds passed before they pulled away, but it felt like an eternity.
"Then I'll be there. I'll be there until the day you die."
"Thanks," Link said quietly, smiling--the idea of that was comforting.
"We should go back."
Ghirahim, pouting like a five year old, said, "Why not stay a little longer? No one knows we're gone."
"We need to make sure everyone's okay. C'mon."
"Fine."
Letting out a puff of air, the two headed back towards the Great Tree. It was difficult to tell if the mist had affected the rest of the forest, for most of the trees were beginning to lose their leaves anyway. The leaves crunched under their feet as they walked, and it was the leaves that made Shala look up when they approached the group of campfires. She stood over Ni, who looked pale and thin. She stared silently at the ground, setting herself apart from every other two year old in existence. No one dared to meet the little girl's eyes; she was a child that lost everything, and that was a foreign concept in which they feared.
"Tirai wants to talk to you," she said. "Don't worry, Ni is alright."
She pointed at the Great Tree, where, indeed, Tirai sat under the Great Tree. She had thick, bloody bandages tied around her torso and head. She simply stared ahead, her sharp eyes worn down to dull knives. Cautiously, as if approaching a dangerous spider, Link walked towards her. Ghirahim remained behind, told to stay there by a simple hand motion.
As he stood over her, Tirai looked up at him. Before she said anything, Link could see the tears glistening in her eyes. Carefully, Link knelt down, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry I didn't protect her," Tirai said. Her voice wobbled dangerously.
For a moment, Link did want to blame her. She was indeed the woman that was supposed to protect Zelda and keep her alive, yet all that was left of the goddess reborn was her daughter. Link sucked in a shaky breath. "It's not your fault. You tried, and your injuries show that. It's probably my fault for not being there."
"I tried to protect her--but I got injured--I could have died, I--"
"It's not your fault," Link repeated. "It's Loria's. She planned this, all of this. Ghirahim and I killed her."
She close her eyes and inhaled deeply. In her mind, she could see Impa telling her about Zelda, and what she was like. She could remember promising that, if she ever met Zelda, she would guard her with her life and more.
Yet here she was, alive. And Zelda was dead.
"I should have died, not her," Tirai said, and broke down with a sob. "It should have been me, not her, or her husband. Ni should still have parents. She shouldn't have had to watch them die. It shouldn't have ended like this!"
Link stiffened, unsure of what to do while she cried. It seemed as she vented all the emotions she'd ever bottled up and hidden into her tears, and it was a long time before she stopped, still sniffling. When she looked up at him, it seemed as if she'd shred around ten years off her life, and now appeared to be about Link's age. She gulped. "I...sorry. This wasn't--"
Link shook his head. "No...No...don't apologize. I don't think anyone could have gotten through this without crying."
Tirai nodded and averted her eyes, gazing intently at the grass. "I suppose. But I wanted to talk to you about something else. I have a feeling Zelda thought that something like this was going to happen... She said that if anything happened to her and Groose to ask you to take care of Ni."
Of course she would ask that. Zelda had been aware that Ni would have no one left to care for her. It seemed only right to ask her friend to do it.
Link heard himself say, "Of course, I'll do it," but he wasn't sure. He was afraid.
Tirai smiled and leaned her head back. "I think she knew you would..."
He only nodded, still afraid. But there was no reason for him to be afraid, was there? He would have Ghirahim with him. Together, it seemed, they could overcome anything.
Link smiled himself.
--
The sword pulsed with an ethereal light. Around it were the four Elements, which also glowed brightly.
Blue eyes gazed curiously up at the sword--the Picori Blade from legend, the one that had once been held in the hands of a great hero. But now it was the Four Sword, and a simple child wielded it. As the glow died down, the soft hand of a boy reached for the handle to pull it out of the pedestal. However, he paused when an image flashed through his head--the image of a man, inhumanly pale, with white hair swept over the left side of his face.
He stared at the sword, eyes wide. Somehow, that man was associated with the golden sword, which still pulsed with light. But who was he?
"Well? You gonna draw the sword?" the Picori sitting atop the boy's head asked. "We don't have all day. We have to break that curse, you know!"
Gingerly, the boy reached for the sword again. When he wrapped his fingers around it, the face appeared again, but it was blurry, like a distant memory. He nearly pulled himself away again when an odd feeling rippled through his head, and, as if he were feeling someone else's emotions, he felt happy yet sad at the same time. Softly, a voice whispered within the boy's head.
I'll be there. I'll be there until the day you die.
"Ghirahim?" the boy almost said as he felt a rush of emotions rush through him. He bit his tongue, however, upon realizing the voice was just his imagination. No, a memory of something long gone.
Almost as quickly as these strange feelings came, they left him. He didn't even know a Ghirahim, did he?
"Hey! We have to stop Vaati before he finds the Light Force!"
Remembering his mission, Link pulled the Four Sword out of its pedestal, gripping it tightly with trembling hands. Ezlo, sitting atop his head, grunted as he nearly fell off.
The voice had seemed almost familiar, but he'd never met someone who spoke in such a fashion. It was as if the man had been trying to be spooky, but at the same time comforting.
Pulled from his thoughts by the sound of stone scraping against stone, Link turned his head to find the stone slab that had been standing there ever since he entered this chamber had slid away to reveal a narrow passageway leading to a wall of stained glass depicting the Legend of the Bound Chest.
A long, long time ago, when the land was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow, the tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the hero of men a sword and a golden light. With wisdom and courage, the hero drove out the darkness. When peace had been restored, the people enshrined that blade with care. And the force of the golden light, embodied in Hyrule's princess, shone forth upon the land.