A Pirate's Life For Me; Zelink, Pirate AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

Chapter Twenty Two

Zelda whipped the reins on the horse and he quickened his pace. She heard Link's horse increase its speed behind her. The quick red/brown steed kept up with her white stallion easily.

She didn't know how long she forced her animal to run, but she only stopped when the horse started to fight against going any further. 

Jumping down, she examined the cave. The entrance in front of her seemed to spew a negative energy. It was like her soul was being drained even as she walked closer. But it wasn't like she had expected anything nice from the Underworld Caverns.

Then she noticed a note impaled on a spike just outside the cave.

Zelda quickly snatched it up as Link dismounted Epona and walked over to her.

Hello, Princess, I've been waiting so long for this day.

Follow the red lights if you want to see your sister alive.

She passed the note to Link as she checked all of her buckles and her hidden weapons.

He let out a growl. "Let's go get this son of a moblin," he spat as he crumpled the piece of parchment and threw it aside.

Zelda nodded and they entered the cave side by side.

It wasn't as dark and dreary as she had expected it to be. The reality shocked her... there were glowing blue crystals in the walls illuminating the way. But it was far from charming... certainly not enchanting. No... two people she loved could be in danger inside these pretty tunnels.

The path ended suddenly in a large, glowing red arch after an eternity of walking warily. Zelda slipped her hand into her pocket for one of her daggers.

"Wait. He's been calling you Princess..." he lowered his voice. "He may not know..."

Zelda reluctantly nodded, and she watched as Link drew his sword. She'd never seen him use that before, but it looked like he knew how. "Alright... Let's go get my sister."

Link held out his free hand and grabbed hers tightly. "She's my sister too, now." 

Zelda looked down and then nodded. "Let's go get our sister." 

Then as they crossed the arch... Everything went wrong.

A fierce, dark wind blew both of them back into the wall of the cave behind them; Zelda's leg striking a glowing blue crystal. It sliced through her and the blue glow turned red as the crystal was soaked in her blood. 

"Ahhh... The Princess... In the flesh. Finally... After all of my patient planning... my plotting... I have you now. I have you both."

"Where is my sister!" Zelda demanded with gritted teeth. 

"She's in another room... but you won't be seeing her..." the darkness replied. It was just a black, hovering cloud of... something.

"Leena!" Zelda yelled.

"She isn't listening to you right now... She's only listening to me," the darkness chuckled.

"What have you done to-"

Zelda started to ask her question but she didn't get to finish. Link suddenly screamed, and she couldn't stop herself from looking. He had been hanging on the wall like she was, but then he was brought down and then slammed back up. His sword dropped to the ground with a clatter as his left arm was impaled by a color shifting crystal.

"Link-" she couldn't finish that either. Her leg that had been similarly impaled was ripped from the crystal; she screamed as she was thrown from the wall to the ground with an invisible, terrible force.

"Your part of the Triforce hasn't registered with you yet little princess..." The darkness sounded disappointed. "No matter.... I will make it."

Pain shot through her, a truly unrivaled pain; it rang through her like fire, as cold as ice, as unrelenting as hate. It was worse than being slashed in the hand; worse than being split open in the front. Worse than her back being maimed. 

But worse still... Link was screaming behind her. His howls of agony, her husband's pain, stabbed her straight through the heart. Then... It was gone. A force had come over her, a determination that couldn't be stopped. 

Zelda raised her hand through the ignored pain and focused on the darkness. She clenched her fist, trying to use the same ability she had against Lynel... but nothing happened. That formless body was immune to her physical manipulation.

"Nothing? Still? You disappoint me."

The pain returned twofold. Link was now trying to not scream, but he couldn't stop the sound from escaping him.

Zelda was screaming too. Anguish, pain, anger, those left her in a symphony of harsh music.

"Ahahaha, perfect." The darkness laughed in satisfaction as it floated towards Link on the wall. "I can feel it... The Triforce of Courage. Your little Prince really was the Hero after all."

Link screamed again, the agony in his voice rang through her; stabbing her fiercer than any blade.

A yellow light flashed from behind her and suddenly she felt no more pain. Link dropped from the wall behind her with a muffled thud. She looked back at him, tears staining her cheeks. Her eyes widened as she saw the large, solid gold triangle in front of her. It was getting larger by the second, and hope started to fill her. That was a piece of the Triforce. With that, Link would have a chance. With that, they could win.

But her hope was wrenched in two as the golden triangle flew away from Link and rocketed towards the darkness.

"No!" she screamed in horror.

But it was no use, the piece of the Triforce had already reached that horrific cloud.