The Legend of Zelda: A Hero's Legacy

Chapter 4: The Flames Of Demise

4

The armies moved to Castle Termina and set up base inside. Link and his friends went straight to the forge. The Master Sword had to be reforged and only the hero could do it. As Link set to work on repairing the blade, the goddess entered the room.

"...and Veran has gone to gather the citizens of Hyrule and bring them here. They have been told to bring all belongings as we make our new life in the sky." Zant was saying to Orin. Link was busy hammering away at the blade. The goddess approached Link.

"What do you want?" Link murmured, not even turning to face her. The goddess raised a brow, and could not help but smile. He was a truly great hero, she knew, for her approach was silent to all mortals, or so she had thought.

"I must stay behind."

"What do you mean?"

"The demon king will soon learn of his defeat here. Perhaps he already knows. I must hold him back while the Hylians leave for the sky."

The goddess had not spoken much of her involvement with the battle. Many had just assumed she was here now, to lead them to victory alongside Link. Link had harboured this line of thought too, and now bit his lip in frustration.

"And what of you? Will you return once you have held him back long enough?" There was silence and Link turned around. The goddess was gone.

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The blade was complete and Link was ready. All the Hylians were now waiting in the castle, ready for the hero to take them to the sky. While what the goddess said was true and the demon king was being held back, still an army was approaching. This time though, they were prepared. Whereas the humans had easily taken down the Moblins, now they were armed with spears and iron armour. The army of darkness stopped just beyond Faron Woods. The Hylians prepared to make their final stance as they waited for the portal to form which would take them to their new lives in the sky. The soldiers lined up and Link marched in front. He raised his sword.

"TO WAR!" 

No speech this time. They did not need it. The Goddess was watching over them, and Link had proved he could lead them to victory, as he had done many times before his imprisonment.

The Hylians took their final stand. And charged.

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Meanwhile, the goddess was desperately trying to hold back an untold evil. She approached the demon king. He was as tall as Eldin Volcano and his body was comprised of shadows and pure hatred.

"THIS TIME." he boomed. "I WILL RULE EVERYTHING ONCE THE LEGACIES OF THE GODS IS MINE!" 

The Goddess, a beacon of strength, took one step towards the darkness, raised her hands, and let white light shimmer into being.

"No. The citizens of Hylia will live on while you will die along with all those who follow you." The demon king laughed a thunderous laugh and then raised his arms to the sky. Wicked desire assaulted the world's surface, staining it the colour of obsidian. The mountains, plains and all that flowed pure on the land were ruthlessly scoured by fire.

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The humans were winning the battle thanks to the power of the Master Sword. No enemy stood a chance against the mighty blade. Swords snapped in two, and shields shattered. Spears splintered, and armour proved no obstacle. Things seemed to be going well. Then the sky turned red. The grass they were standing on grew hot and some parts began to be engulfed by flames. Link saw what was going to happen and thrust his sword into the ground. 

He did not know what powers the Sword possessed, only that some part inside him knew, a part of the sword itself.

A shockwave echoed across the ground and a white light surrounded the humans and Castle Termina. The fires grew larger and soon everything was swept by the fire, including the armies of the demon king. "WHAT IS HAPPENING?" Zant roared. Many soldiers were terrified.

"DO NOT FEAR!" Link echoed. "With the power of the Goddess, I am protecting us from these flames. I do not know why the demon king killed his own warriors, but this is good news for us. He presumed this attack would destroy all life but he didn't count on the power of the goddess." The men cheered, but quickly stopped, breaking off as a large roar filled the skies. Link's hold on the sword started to weaken. "QUICK, EVERYONE IN THE CASTLE. I CANNOT HOLD THE SHIELD MUCH LONGER." As soon as everyone was safe inside the castle, Link released the sword with a gasp. There was a large circle where the grass remained but the fires of the rest of the land began to spread along the grass. Swiftly, Link ran towards the castle, just making it to the stone steps before the fire leapt at his feet. As Link lay on the ground, panting, he laughed.

"You will not t-take me today fire." 

He was bitterly awakened to the reality of the situation as screams filled his ears, and many sobbed openly. 

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD" One old man yelled.

"OH GODDESS! WILL YOU NOT COME TO OUR AID?" A woman wept.

"Someone will save us." Veran said, pushing through the crowd of moaning people. "The gods will not forsake us in our time of need. Trust in the hero. Trust in Link." 

Standing, Link moved through the crowd, his people surrounding him, hope shining in their eyes. He knew what he had to say. As he always knew. This wasn't the sword, or the Goddess. This was him. A man who cared about all his people, those who mocked him and turned their backs on him. A hero cared not for those who lost their way, only that they could see the light once more. He was their light.

Link faced the sky and raised his sword.

"YOUR PRAYERS FROM AFAR WON'T VANQUISH THE DEMONS!" Link roared. "WE DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF OUR KIND." Slowly the upset Hylians began to smile and trust their hero. "NOW UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THE POWER OF THIS SWORD TO RAISE US TO THE SKY. THE GODDESS TOLD ME I WOULD KNOW WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.  IF NOW IS NOT THAT TIME THEN WE MUST KEEP FIGHTING UNTIL THE MOMENT ARRIVES." With those last words, Link pushed through his people, and stepped off the stone steps into the flames. People screamed, abandoning all hope, certain their hero was lost to the flames.

Then the crackling red split and dispersed, extinguished in a great wave, leaving behind a blackened and charred earth, but one no longer engulfed by destruction.

In the centre of the ashes, Link stood, the Master Sword raised skyward. Cheers erupted from the people.

"THE FLAMES ARE GONE!" People were chanting. Zant stepped forward, fearing what others had forgotten.

"What are we fighting? Surely the flames destroyed all the demon king's forces."

"No," Link breathed, heading back towards the Hylians. "The goddess told me that while she keeps the demon king at bay, his servant, the right hand man: Ghirahim, is still out there and has his own army. What we saw today was only a taster. We cannot stay here. While I have removed the flames, they will be sure to start up again. We must make passage through Lake Floria and then to the Isle of the Goddess where the flames cannot reach us." The citizens of Hylia nodded in silence, aware of the task ahead.

"There will be great danger. For as we make our way, Ghirahim's forces will try and stop us and not to mention the demon king's own forces. We will split into two groups. One will head the long way through Faron woods and past Lake Floria. This group will consist of the regular citizens and half our warriors. The other, made up of the rest of our forces, led by me, will make our way through the Eldin province and we shall meet together in seven days from now at the Isle of the Goddess." The crowd cheered and at nightfall, there were two groups and they set off on their separate ways. Link sent Zant to lead the other group. With his help, he was confident they would make it through this.