Scars of a Caged Bird | Zelink Medieval

Chapter XX

... And I can't even believe this... O_O ... It's over... X_X THIS IS LITERALLY THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EPILOGUE!!!! :OOOO OH MY GOSH, I FEEL SO PROUD, haha!!! XD Hopefully I'll have the epilogue up after Zelink Week... But, this is the last freaking chapter! Can you guys believe it?!?!?!

... *still can't believe it's almost over* This chapter is dedicated to Batcheler03 for being one of my first readers. Thanks for keeping me on track. XD

But, yeah! It's been about a year and a month since I started writing this, and I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter. X( <3

Please vote and comment because I'm a tired person, haha. X_X

~Elsie

~~~

Running toward Cove and Marine, I watched in horror as Marine stood above the body of her dead sister, lifting a sword high. "You killed my sister," she whispered. "You never loved me..."

Ren laughed as he defended himself against Sheik, "You all never knew that there was a traitor in your midst, did you? Well, I'm the best, obviously – Of course I would think of something like this to catch you all off guard."

Marine disregarded Ren and walked shakily toward her betraying love. "You killed my sister..."

The betrayer, Cove, was robbed of his speech, and he just watched as Marine approached him, coming closer and closer.

Her eyes never moved from Cove's, "You joined Ganondorf – You deceived us. And now your blood will pay the price of your betrayal. I hope it was worth it."

Cove's eyes, moved to mine, and his mouth began moving, forming silent words.

I didn't look at him, however – I couldn't. He murdered my friend. He took her life like it was nothing, and he deserved to die for conspiring with Ganondorf and Ren. My feet were forced to move, and I headed toward Ren and Sheik.

Sheik saw me coming so he slipped into my shadow. He manipulated the shadows so that Ren was forced to let go of Relena. She stumbled forward, and I caught her. Nabooru appeared at my right and supported Rey so that they could get away from Ren.

"You think you two are so slick, don't you?" Ren questioned, sneering.

I shrugged, wiping a bit of blood from my brow, "I suppose so. And, Ren, you can take the title of prince – you can have the entire Fortress to yourself. But you have to kill me first."

"I'll do so easily," Ren shook his head. "You foolish Hylian. We Gerudo are so much smarter than you. So much better."

"Oh, really?" I asked. "Then why is my sword at your throat?"

And that was when Ren realized that I had him right where I wanted him. He could brag all he wanted, but I had him cornered.

"Kill me, Hylian," Ren spat at me. "Just kill me like the murderer you are."

"The murderer I am?" I questioned sarcastically.

"Link, just end him, please – I literally can't deal with his talk," Sheik pleaded. "It's hurting my head, I swear!"

"Yes, the murderer you are, Link," Ren laughed. He laughed in the face of death.

His words entered my mind and stayed there – they were all I could focus on, and he kept on repeating them: "You're a murderer, Link. If you kill me, you'll just add one more person to your kill list."

So I couldn't do it – I stood there, frozen, unable to do anything with my sword to Ren's throat.

"And here I was thinking you'd actually be able to do something for once in your life, Link," Ren shook his head before knocking the Master Sword out of my hands and bringing his scimitar up to my own throat. "See? You're not only a murderer, but you're a coward too."

"Link, what the heck is wrong with you?!?!" Sheik screamed in my head.

I was paralyzed.

I could see the tip of Ren's scimitar closely approaching my neck, nicking at my skin. Yet I still couldn't move!

That was when an arrow whizzed out of nowhere, entering Ren's dark heart.

Zelda.

I'd thought that I had to save her life, but she, in turn, saved my own.

"Link, run!" she screamed as another Gerudo came at me with her saber at the ready.

Ducking, I rolled away, shooting my legs out and catching the Gerudo warrior off-guard. Leaping to my feet, I joined Zelda as she surveyed the battlefield, picking off certain Gerudo who were fighting our friends. I could see Kron, Zilla, and Impa battling in a circle, covering for Nabooru and Relena who were making their way back to the forest near the Castle.

I hoped that Nabila, Aziz, and Darron were able to remain safe in that hidden grove with the horses, who, right now, were our only ways of escape.

Marine was sobbing in the middle of the battlefield, holding Aqua's dead body. Cove was dead from what I could tell, killed by the girl he'd betrayed.

The Triforce on my left hand began burning, itching, and I finally saw the second triangle that was highlighted on it. I was now the possessor of the Triforces of Power and Courage...

Zelda caught my gaze before nodding curtly. Her Triforce was also glowing, and we joined hands.

Then I suddenly realized how all the fighting had stopped. The Gerudo just stood there, watching me – and Zelda.

Sheik slipped out of my shadow into his sister's, and we both tried to run as quickly as possible to where our group was, headed for the forest grove.

It was eerie, however, because of the fact that the Gerudo simply stared at us unblinkingly, and I realized that I'd killed many of my kin. I'd killed members of my family. The weight of that was unbearable, and tears began slipping down my cheeks as I gathered small Nabila into my embrace.

"Is it over, Link?" she questioned, her little voice wavering as sobs shook her body. She'd obviously witnessed everything that had happened.

Smoothing her hair carefully, I nodded, whispering into her ear, "It's over, Nabila – It's finally over." And I felt dirty, touching someone as innocent and childlike as Nabila.

A group had been formed around us as we were all sobered, remembering those who'd died, both good and bad, including Marine's beloved twin, Aqua.

"You've done it, Link," an unknown masculine voice said. "You've done what you were born to do."

"We're so proud of you," another voice, more feminine than the last, added, "son..."

I lifted my head to look at the newcomers. "Who are you...?"

"Son," the woman said, moving toward me, her arms open wide.

I glanced at Zelda and Sheik, and they both nodded and smiled at me. Moving forward, as though in a dream, I released Nabila and stepped into the warm embrace of my mother, Kirstin Adema, and met the crystal clear blue eyes of Reneer Adema, my father.

~~~

Total Word Count:

1,044