[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Demise

...forward yet again. The dust storm settled, revealing the last moments before dawn. Link raised a hand over his eyes, looking out at the glare on the sands. No sign remained of Reeckha, the Goddess returned to the Sacred Realm in which She'd arrived from.

Despite the restored dais, time seemed to have moved forward and not backwards. At least now that they were no longer in the bubble of Reechka's magic, the flow of time became correctly oriented. The armies still stood around them, not monsters returned. It was the next day, the next challenge awaiting.

There was a cough, shaking Link's focus away from the horizon and back to his present. He dropped to kneel beside Endeavor as she hacked, labored breaths growing easier by the moment.

"Hold on," Daniel whispered, inserting himself beside Link and lifting Endeavor's shoulders up as he helped her adjust to a reclined sitting position.

Endeavor winced, her face clenching tight as she was moved. After a moment in the new position, she relaxed a little and opened her eyes again to look at Link. "We...ahhh...we spoke about this." Despite the heavy reminder, the corners of her lips were turned up.

Link smiled as joy bloomed in his chest. He shook his head back at her. "I'll never be sorry for it. Not this one."

Her chest bounced slowly as she laughed closed mouth, before another rush of pain hid the expression. Again, she labored to control her breathing before turning to Link. "How?"

"The Radiant Light," he replied, taking her hand as she reached out to him.

Endeavor's brows furrowed as she worked through his statement. "You called on...on the Goddess, for me?"

"I couldn't leave you behind," he answered, offering her a smile in return.

"But how did She—"

A battle cry filled the air, snapping Link's attention behind him. The crowd of their companions was moving to the side as Link rose, all of them readying themselves as a pitch-black storm rose from the ashes of Ganon.

Raising himself in a dust storm turned fire storm, the flames seared over the humanoid that stepped out as Demise materialized himself once more. Dark as char, horns rising from his skull, the Demon Lord at his truest state stepped out. He stood a head higher than his previous Gerudo form, not including the horns. Scales dug into his arms, the red-black ichor dripping over them as he moved.

"What a sentimental fool," he snarled over a prideful smile, a mane of fire shifting from bright orange to blood red as he advanced.

Ash continued to fall as Demise stalked forward, as if his form was not quite material enough to remain still. The edges of him weren't entirely here, the magic bringing him back not stable enough to fight death for long.

"Get Endeavor out of here," Link ordered, his back to her and Daniel as he raised the Master Sword before him.

"You do not get to—Daniel, do not move me!" Endeavor shouted, even as Link heard the clink of the knight's plate getting further away. More protests called after, before the sound was swallowed up by the advancing steps of Demise.

To Link's right, he saw Zelda step up beside him. She held her bow in front of her even as the glow of her magic returned in full.

"I've had quite enough of you," Zelda replied, her eyes narrowing on the Demon Lord before them.

A sneer cracked Demise's face. "I assure you, the feeling is deeply mutual." Distain dripped from his voice as he extended his arm and a blade formed in his hand out of black ichor. Very shortly after, it caught fire the same color as Demise's fiery mane.