The Final Hero (Zelda AU) (Complete)

I Love You

"I'm getting tired," Liz thought. She, at several points, had a chance to kill her friends. She just couldn't bring herself to do it and no amount of, "Come on Liz. Pull your act together! They aren't really your friends, they are puppets of Ganon," would fix that. She was the most wounded out of the three because of this and was rapidly losing blood. Liz had no idea how long she'd been fighting for but knew she couldn't keep up much longer. Her malice infested friends however were not slowing down. "Are they like machines now? Does the malice make them never tire?" She wished she had more time to learn about it but she knew now that she would die here. There was no way she could kill them. As Liz came to this realization she began praying to the goddesses; especially Farore, her patron. A few moments later she felt something sharp slide through her stomach. "This is the end," she thought and fell to her knees.

"LIZ!" She looked up being unable to believe it, but yes it was! Aryll was kneeling in front of her tears of malice leaking out of her eyes. Paya was standing off to the side, staring at the sword in her hands. The sword's normal silver was covered in a deep red blood. Liz's blood. Seeing her cousin's blood helped Paya to break free from the malice holding her. When Paya looked up from her sword her eyes were their normal red. Paya ran to Liz as she collapsed completely onto the floor.

"Liz, I'm so... LIZ!" Paya's best friend and cousin was laying on the floor a ghostly white.

"Aryll, Paya," Liz whispered while coughing up blood.

"Hey, " Paya said gently brushing a piece of hair from Liz's face, "you're gonna be just fine."

Liz gave her signature snort, "Don't lie to me. I know I'm not going to make it. I had a feeling before Zel, Link, Sheik, and me left."

Aryll through sobs said, "But..."

"I want you both to know I recorded some tapes before I left on this mission. They are for special and important occasions in all our lives. Paya you are the only one who can look through them after I'm gone. I want you to pull each one out and show it at the proper time. Please, will you?"

Paya trying to remain composed said, "Of course, anything else?"

"Yeah, can I know where your birthmark is?" Liz asked, with a smirk.

"Hmm... I don't know," said Paya, trying to be funny.

"Are you not going to grant this old lady's last wish?"

"Fine." She leaned down and whispered, "It's actually on the back of my head."

Liz laughed softly, "I love you, Paya."

Paya let a few tears slide, "I love you too, Liz."

Liz, the girl who Paya had delivered the mortal blow to, died in her arms.

Aryll and Paya held each other for a few moments and sobbed furiously.

Paya was the first to calm down slightly and said, "Aryll you need to go find your boyfriend and brother. I'll... take care of Liz."

Aryll choked back the rest of her sobs and nodded. She ran off down the nearest corridor and Paya picked up Liz and began carrying her up the stairs, failing to hold back her tears.

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Sheik grunted. He almost had her that time but Cia had sent a magical blast in his direction. He sidestepped and slashed at her side but an armband blocked his sword.

"Is that all you got?" she taunted.

Sheik was smarter than to fall for the jab at conversation. It would just make him run out of breath faster, not that that wasn't already happening. He started to look harder for weaknesses. He noticed she was fighting in heels. Sheikah women were very proficient at this seeing as they often guarded fancy events and some, like Liz, even preferred it. There was a chance, however, she wasn't as proficient at this as the Sheikah were. He went for her legs and was able to twist one of her ankles due to a rookie jump on her part. There that would make his job easier; she wouldn't be able to easily dodge, even if she could use magic. He decided his next move would be to move quickly behind her and stab her stomach. This job was made even easier when a shout came from the tunnel behind him. This distracted Cia further, yet another rookie mistake, and he was able to kill her.

"Is that all you got?" he said smartly under his breath putting his sword back in his sheath.

Another shout came from the tunnel, "SHEIK?"

The voice made Sheik's stomach flutter, "ARYLL?!"

His favorite person in the entire world ran into the room and wrapped him in a close hug.

"Sheik," she cried softly into his shoulder.

Sheik pulled back and looked her in the eyes and made a split second decision in case he never got the chance again, you know with the imminent threat of Ganon and all. "Aryll, this may not be the best time to ask this but, will you marry me?"

Aryll looked at him and smiled softly, "Yes, Sheik."

They brought each other close again and a few moments later Sheik broke the hug, "Now we have to help out our brother."

He rose up and started walking towards the door that Link and Zelda had gone into but Aryll held him back, "Sheik, we can't help them. You know the legends. It has to be them."

Sheik wanted with every fiber of his being to shout, "NO!" but knew that his fiance was correct, "In the name of Nayru, it's already starting." He painfully turned away from the door and took Aryll's hand. They left the room and Cia's body behind wondering if they would see their friends again.

~~~~~

AN: Cerdits: https://twitter.com/sambeckdraws/status/1242252777407033346