Tears of a Broken Kingdom

Chapter Fifteen ~ It hurts me too

Zelda had expected him to try and attack again, and she was ready to evade. She still remained close to the ground, her moves sharp and quick.

Zelda glanced around for something to use to fight back, the dull, rough pain of her neck kept her grounded. Zelda didn't have anything of her own that'd be effective against him, although there had to be something she could use.

The gilded one..? It's in here somewhere...

Zelda made sure not to take her eyes off his reanimated corpse, biting her lip from anxiety, she was running out of time to save herself. The gilded sword had been brought back in with her, she had thought it'd been something she could keep. Another memento.

He was still silent, his face expressionless. It would only be a matter of time till he found her again the darkness, she was too close- her breathing too loud as she struggled to keep it shallow enough. Zelda wouldn't let her lungs catch up to her palpitating heart- not if it risked her survival.

It was too much to ask to stay in darkness forever, this dark apparition of the hero- her hero- grabbed a fistful of the curtain, ripping it down from its rod and sent it billowing to the ground.

Moonlight flooded the room, beams of silver shot through the window, hitting the floor.

This is it...

The light caught on the blade, tears of silver slipping over the still bloody sword. She should've gotten it off- but she'd been in too much of a haze.

As quick as possible Zelda slipped over to where she'd haphazardly set it down earlier, staying low to the ground and close to the walls. She dared a glance away from Link, drawn like a magnet to the sword. It lay stranded on the dresser, like a mirror, sending fragmented moonlight into her eyes.
When she was within reach she picked it up, the metal smooth in her grip as she slipped in into her hand.

It fit in Zelda's hand well enough, although it felt slightly off. She'd never been one to carry around a sword, the foreign weight of the blade prevalent in her hand. Zelda tried to remember the way he'd carried it, gauzy memories mainly faded away, a drop into the ocean. Once again she wished to have Link's strength, her shaky nerves had begun to consume her. Zelda already regretted what she would have to do.

Fidgeting with the sword she turned back to face the intruder, the sword raised at her side, she shifted her weight from foot to foot, trying to get a feel for it.

He was visible clearing in the moonlight now, his skin had lost all the color and he was ghostly pale, a translucent white. A spiderweb of cracks lined his body, dark and splintering. Broken glass.

His eyes seemed even darker in the light, sucking in the silvery light with no chance of escape.

There was no sign of blood on him, still in the same clothes from the Spirit Temple. He was back, like nothing had ever happened. But Link would never try to kill her. Even if he did blame her.

The light from the window backlighted him, a shadow splayed on the floor.

She didn't move to strike, trying to glare at him but it was hard when he had his face...

It's not him... not anymore at least. It can't be. But what if this is the wrong choice?

It was still for a few moments, almost enough time for Zelda to regret what was going to happen. This... man felt too much like him.

He begin to move first, his movements mechanical, performing some sorta of routine, it ended with his arms rising into the air, a green glow issued from the floor. It was bright in the half-light, forest green, a ray of light surrounding him.