Autumn in Akkala

Ch.46 Faithful as a Friend; Formidable as a Foe

Collect the Masks
!Link                            Hyrule Castle

The playing field between myself and Kilton is equal at this very moment. Both of us must fight each other, all the while being brow beaten beneath the tyranny of these masks. I can only assume that somewhere beneath Majora, Kilton's consciousness is holding on.

I say assume, because without Y/N, I don't know if I would have come to as quick as I had or even at all.

Then the question remains: is there someone who can appeal to whatever sentience of Kilton persists? Or has Termina captured him completely?

Will this have to be an unfortunate fight to the death?

But the cool edge of my blade is not the gratitude I wish to award him for his friendship.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

It wasn't the crashing of bricks or the shattering of glass that reached your ears first, but a paralyzing screech that almost made your skin peel away from your muscles.

You had decided, beneath the firm grip of Link's hands holding your own, that if this was really it, there was nothing left but acceptance. You never got to own your own home nor become the prestigious historian you always studied hard to become, but you had become something even better.

Courageous.

Of course, who better than Link to be your teacher in mettle.

Link. Maybe the justice you longed to bring to the hero of time wasn't even warranted. Maybe simply by honoring his memory and finding him again, as the great hero of the calamity, was homage enough to his defamation.

This was it; you were finally giving yourself permission to let go.

But not before demonstrating one final act of valor.

Before Link could give you that strained look he normally offers you when he must assist Zelda, you were already halfway down the corridor.

Like a vulgar perfume, clay and sand lime from the gargantuan hole in the very top of one of the castle's hoardings infiltrated your nose. You masked your eyes from the falling debris and dust, seeing Zelda's shriveled silhouette on her knees with her hands folded in prayer.

The castle she spent one hundred years protecting from attack was now attacking her. You noted bits of sawdust and detritus tangled in her thick, short hair. A shawl of concrete covered her shoulders, yet as always, she remained poised. Not even the precipice of the apocalypse could rattle the queen after what she's witnessed in her many lives.

"Zelda?!"

You ran toward her, skidding on your knees and grabbing her in a way that made your body her shield.

"This is it..." she said softly. Her eyes were fastened shut, and her head remained bowed.

In the distance, the voices of guards echoed down the interminable hall.

Swirls of dust continued to shimmy around you and Zelda. Another small piece of the hoarding caved in and crashed to the ground. Zelda could feel your body flinch at the sound, prompting her to whisper, "Y/N, there is no need to shield me." In a light-hearted tone, she added, "If you could shield Hyrule from the blood moon, I'd be most impressed. But I feel now is an appropriate time to just tell you, I am proud of the tremendous growth you have displayed."