The Collapse (AU) (TOTW)

The Kidnapped and the Traitor

"Link!" A voice shouted, I felt hands on my shoulder, as if shaking me awake. My eyes cracked open and it was bright, I saw a face...

"Riju?" I asked.

"Link! Thank the goddesses!" She exclaims, bringing me into an embrace. It was nice, but I started coughing up dirt so it kind of ruined the mood.

"Ugh, Riju. Erin... Kohga... Zelda..." I murmured, I couldn't spit it out because my mouth was so dry.

"Zelda? Yes... she was taken by the Yiga Clan. And we still haven't found Erin, we think they took him as well. But... how did you escape?" She asked.

"No... Erin is... Erin is..." I couldn't say what I needed to, I felt like my body was burning, especially the hole in my back.

"Link, save it. We need to get you back to town, it's a good thing you changed first." She stopped me, then I felt myself being lifted onto a platform.

I faded in and out for a while and when I woke, I realized I was in Riju's room... in Riju's bed. There was a needle in my arm with some liquid in a bag flowing in. And tons of bandages across my back, with some sort of ointment.

"What is that?" I asked aloud.

"That's called a TLRBND (or The Liquid Replacer by Needle Device)."

"Well that's a mouthful..." I said, attempting to sit up but failing.

"Yeah well we're still working on the name, and you shouldn't sit up yet, you haven't regained your strength."

"I can't do this right now. I'll just drink some water and go, Zelda's in trouble." I told her, finally managing to sit up.

"Don't worry, we found Erin and he's leading the expedition to get Zelda."

"You... found Erin?" I asked her, completely dumbfounded.

"Yeah, he passed out in front of the guards at the main entrance. They alerted me and I also used a TLRBND on him. He headed out with Teake and the strongest Guard leaders."

"No, no, no!" I said, leaping out of bed and ripping that godforsaken needle out of my arm. I grunted and struggled to put my sword in my sheath, and my shield on my back. I started walking, although it burned, I had to go and save Zelda and the Guard.

"Link, why are you worrying so much, Erin has got it under control."

"No he doesn't! He's a member of the Yiga Clan! He's spent years getting into the Royal Family, and he's a spy! That idiot Kohga told me their whole plan!" I shouted, running down the stairs, I was out of the Palace before she could even answer.

"Link!" Riju shouted over the balcony of her room.

I turned and shouted back, "I've got this!" Then I refocused my attention to my mission, I headed over to the sand seal rental shop and quickly bought a new shield and rented a sand seal. I rushed the seal throughout the desert, hoping that I wouldn't be too late.

After a quarter hour, I reached the Kara Kara Bazaar. After a half hour, I was reaching sandstorms. After a full hour, I was there, walking through the big arching overhead rocks. I was ambushed, but quickly dispatched the three Yiga foot-soldiers. I ran into the hexagonal room with banners on all walls, I sliced through a couple banners and eventually found my way in. There were tons of Yiga soldiers patrolling, and I had to sneak past them.

Eventually, I climbed up to an overhang and stole all of their bananas. After a while, I reached the Master's Chambers, where I saw all the guards. I bent over to check their pulse and my back ached in pain, it wasn't as hard to crouch so I decided to crouch instead. All of them were breathing, thank the goddesses. I continued over to a wall that looked less like a wall and more like a rotating door. I heard shouts behind it too, so I decided to push on the right side. It took all of my strength but I was able to rotate it enough to slip through the crack.

What I saw was horrifying, Erin was kicking Zelda in the stomach and her whole body basically. While Master Kohga laughed in the background, he kicked her few times but decided to mostly stay away.

I was horrified but I drew my sword and shield, and got into stance, "Hey! Leave her alone!" I shouted, they both turned and Erin looked interested.

"Hm, you recovering from the hole in your back?" Erin asked.

"Screw you. Come and fight me you coward." I barked back at him.

He smirked, "All right then Kohga, go take Zelda out of the way while I kill him."

Kohga nodded and grabbed Zelda, "Link! Leave me! Save yourself!" She shouted, but Kohga slapped her and she shut up.

I grunted in anger and ran forward, Erin jumped to the side and shield bashed me. I stumbled but recovered quickly. He lunged forward and swung but my shield moved up and parried his attack. I swung at his gut but barely nicked him, and he struck a counter-attack, but I blocked it. He jumped away and circled around me, I was confused at his tactic but I decided to wait. I waited a bit and eventually he lunged forward. I slid under his blade and shield bashed his knee, he dropped to a knee and I swung but he twisted and blocked it. He kicked me in the face and I rolled backwards, but regained my footing. We were both back on our feet and began circling again. I swung and he did too, the blades clashed and I swung it down, guiding his blade down and away. Then while his guard was down, I shield bashed him and he stumbled. I swung down and slashed his chest, he grabbed at his chest and I side-swept his leg. He put his shield up and parried my next swing, able to land a slice into my left arm. My shield dropped to the ground and I gripped my sword tightly as we both stood. My shield remained on the ground and he swung one last time, I was able to do a backflip away and create an opening. His eyes widened as my sword thrust forward into his chest. It landed, going straight through his chest. He coughed blood and fell to his knees on the edge of the pit. He was inches away, which was something he had been oblivious to.

I saw the fear in his eyes as he gasped for breath, "I guess I won Erin, you're a filthy traitor and you got what was coming to you." I spat in his face, all he could do was stare into my eyes. There was no pity or mercy left in my body, I planted my foot on his chest.

"Link, don't do it..." Zelda whimpered, but he was the reason she was hurt. I had to make him pay for hurting me and Zelda.

"No.... please..." He whispered out, but it was too late, I kicked him over the edge and he didn't even scream.

"ERIN!" Kohga yelled running over to the pit, leaving Zelda on the floor. He looked over the edge and fell to his knees, "NO! MY PLAN IS RUINED!" He shouted into the pit, then he stood again, "I'll make you pay-" But he didn't finish because a certain someone decided to snap their fingers.

He was gone in an instant, right as the lightning hit him, he was hurled into the pit along with his precious spy. "That was some good work, Link. I'm impressed especially because you still have a hole in your back." Riju said, walking over to me.

Zelda stumbled to her feet and walked over, "Link... you- you... you killed Erin." She seemed to be in disbelief, but things had to happen this way.

"Zelda, I'm sorry, this was the only way." I said to her, she still looked scared so I opened my arms and she embraced me like a scared puppy. She was warm and her skin was rough, from the heat and from the kicking and torture.

"Thank you... for saving me, Link." She said, looking at me with a tear in her eye. She let me go after Riju gave her a dirty look. She dusted herself off and said, "Anyway, we should get the soldiers home and get ready to embark tomorrow."

"Okay." Me and Riju said unitedly.

"Let's get moving." Zelda said, with determination in her eyes.