Part of Your Realm: A Twilight Princess Fanfic

Reflection (2): Everything Within Myself

*Temple of Time*

The scene in front of Link rendered his heart weak. He wasn't prepared for how hurt he would be by Dark's agony as the Triforce radiance enveloped him. It was the first time he ever made friends with his own demon. Literally.

With the purging of Dark came the cleansing of Link. It was as if Hylia had rinsed him clean of all his inner turmoil. All his negativity. All of the ugliness that made him human.

This feeling of sanctity warmed its way throughout Link's entire body. The Triforce pulsed through his veins with the purity of the goddess Hylia herself. He had been reborn.

This is who Link truly was. This is who the Hero of Twilight truly was.

And this is the hero who was truly worthy of Y/N's heart.

Link could no longer make out Dark Link. The last thing he could see was his glowing eyes of steely ember diminishing in the wrath of the goddess's light. There was a faint and final yell that seemed to penetrate through the light.

"Goodbye Partner..."

"Thank you, Dark..." Link felt his lips tremble at the sincerity that arose from his voice. He was very grateful for the short time that Dark was his partner. He had learned one of the most valuable lessons he couldn't have learned on his own. " Thank you for helping me remember that I am always stronger than the shadows that plague me from within." Link's hand was still held forward as if it were on Dark's chest. The ghost of his once beating heart was now a wisp of air against his fingertips. With one final tidal wave of light, Link's voice grew slightly louder, and he made one final declaration. One final acknowledgment.

"And Dark... Thanks for showing me who the superior Link truly is."

And with those final words, Link relinquished his shadow and all that soiled his soul to the consecration of Hylia's light.

Now that Link's internal battle had been won, there was one more battle on his way to union with Y/N.

Ilia's beast. Which was now visible from where Link stood. Zelda once again was enrobed in her force field, and the light of her Triforce was a blinding ray of white. He ran to her side, feeling the warmth of his own Triforce dressed upon his body like formidable armor. Zelda turned and appraised Link's appearance.

She gave him a satisfactory smile. "You know what has to be done, hero." Link grinned back at her. He lifted his Master Sword into the air, the blade charging itself with the holy power of the Triforce. He could feel the electric pulse of his power seep from his hand into the hilt he gripped.

He took a deep breath and slowly walked forward. The Master sword was still pointed towards the sky. The way it twinkled made Link deeply respect all of the evil it had annihilated in its time. Link's gentle footsteps began to pick up speed as he jogged, then ran. He lunged upward, noticing the eyes had begun to regenerate. He instantly spotted the eye that Dark had slashed. The non-weeping eye. Ironically, this eye was not shaded with the crusty color of cadmium. Its sclera was the healthiest shade of white, glistening like a pearl in a pile of trash.

"HYAAH!" He pushed the tip of the Master sword into the eye with minimal strength. The eye, now punctured by the light of the Triforce that resided in the Master Sword's blade, began to swell. Link landed on his feet, his mouth unable to say the words he needed to say.

It was going to explode.

"Link!" Zelda cried out! She swiftly jumped to his aid with her forcefield.

"Ilia!" Link screeched in terror. It was too late. A deafening sonic boom forced them both to squat down, their ears covered. Everything around them turned into a void of light. Even with Link's eyes shut, the force of the light seemed to perforate through his eyelids. If Zelda was saying anything, Link couldn't hear her. The silence was paralyzing to his ears.

For a moment more, Link remained locked in position. When he still couldn't hear, he prepared himself for whatever horror he might see. He slowly opened his eyes.

Only there was no horrible image to be greeted with.

Instead, he was greeted by a figure walking towards him. He could make out their lips moving up and down, yet no sound came out.

Miraculously, he finally heard his name.

"Link!" The figure was now running toward him.

Relief washed over him when he recognized the voice. And even more so when he recognized the figure.

It was Ilia. Only her tunic wasn't blood-soaked. Her limbs weren't popping out at odd angles. There were no weird, stinky, pus- filled weeping eyes. And thank Hylia, she wasn't hobbling.

And her face wasn't the battered blob of pulp it had been when he laid her to the side.

It was Ilia, his best friend.

She jumped down, wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh, Link!" She gushed into his ear.

"You saved me! Link."

"Link." She began to trail her lips from his earlobe to his jawline.

"Link."

She hovered above his lips.

"My husband."

That's when Link realized he was about to engage in the toughest phase of the final battle.

Revealing the truth within his heart.

Edited: 7/23/23

Link is about to engage in one of the hardest battles he's ever faced.

Unlocking the chest of his emotions to speak the truth that lies within his heart. Time is ticking as you fight your own battle against your own truth in the Realm of Twilight. 

Is Link really the hero you need? Or are you the hero you need? 

Check out my other completed OOT work- No Woman Beyond