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The Oracle’s head lolled forward, eyes shut and malice still gurgling from between their lips. Link watched with a numb form of shock as their hand (trembling, he noticed) gathered the hand of the trident secured to their back. They brought it forward and aimed the weapon at Link, looking down the handle with closed eyes as if aiming for the blond. Eventually, their feet touched the ground, and they charged forward. 

The sharp clang of metal echoed through the Divine Beast as Link drove his blade through the forks of the trident, digging the balls of his feet into the floor as he leaned forward, hissing under his breath. The Oracle displayed a shocking amount of strength, an amount that Link knew wasn’t their own as they pushed him away and charged again.

They fought wildly, muscles tight and knuckles straining as they drove the trident toward Link over and over and over. From swiping it through the air to plunging it toward his chest, Link found it becoming increasingly difficult to dodge their movements. He locked their trident in place once more as they pushed it inches away from his face. They hadn’t made a sound this entire time, it looked as if they were barely breathing, just a husk being puppeted around in order to kill. 

“Fight it.” Link hissed, face scrunching tight with the effort. “This isn’t you, this is him. Fight it.” 

“Can you be certain?” Ganondorf sneered as the Oracle lunged again, clashing the trident against Link’s shield. “What if this is what’s been lingering under the surface, all this time?” Link staggered as he thrust the shield forward, pushing the Oracle away from him. Ganondorf scowled, raising his hand and then clenching his fist. A strange, gurgled sound left the Oracle, more Malice pouring from their mouth as they opened their eyes, rolled back into their head, and white as the clothes they wore. The trident by their side began to glow, then, and their grip readjusted as their head snapped back forward. 

It was then Link noticed the necklace they bore around their neck. He hadn’t seen it besides this very moment, he honestly didn’t think they were prone to wearing jewelry. It emanated a soft light, pulsing in time with the trident they held. He thought for too long on this, apparently, because as he looked up again they were mere inches away from his face. 

“Fight it!” Link called, to no avail as they locked the trident with his sword. 

“There’s only one way out of this, Champion.” Ganondorf turned his back, waving his hand dismissively. The Oracle twisted the trident at the same time, straining Link’s injured side as he fought for control. 

“And what is that?” Link gasped out, strained as he felt more blood pool down his side. Ganondorf smiled at him, eyes glinting. 

“Your extinction.” 

Faster than he could blink, there was a blinding flash of light and searing pain at his back. He recognized the sound of breaking rock as he realized he was being launched through a wall of Vah Ruta. The harsh gaze of the setting sun and the wind blowing past him made it an almost peaceful moment, losing himself before he remembered he was being hurtled toward the ground. Link frantically tried to grab at his paraglider, writhing in the air as he struggled. Just seconds before he thought he was going to turn flat against the ground, he heard the loud crash of water and then felt arms around him. 

“Link!” Sidon called, landing back in the water. The Hylian gasped, shooting upward as he heard the Zora speak. “Are you alright? Where is-” 

“They’re still in there.” Link signed, throat raw from talking so damn much. “I have to get back up there. It’s Ganondorf, they were right.” 

Sidon stammered, looking over his friend’s injuries and then to his panicked face. The Prince turned over his shoulder and called for a medic, setting Link carefully back into the water. It was up to his chest, soothing the heat of his wound as he tread through it. Link began to summon Revali’s Gale, calling upon the spirit to lift him into the air before he felt the riverbed shake. 

He turned around and cursed. 

Vah Ruta was marching toward Zora Domain. 

There was screaming all around him, an elixir being shoved into his hands and Sidon lifting him back up as he ran up the staircase leading into the Domain center. The Zora prince was shouting orders of defensive positions, leading citizens to safety and grabbing his own weapons but it all fell on deaf ears. Link looked up to Vah Ruta in shock to see the Oracle atop it, Ganon’s hand back on their neck as Vah Ruta stomped out of the water. 

“Hurry.” Link signed, and Sidon nodded. 

They ran to the highest point, just outside of the throne room and Link couldn’t help but notice that the King was vacant. He was most likely with his people, in safety, but it felt odd to see the massive throne without its King. Sidon set Link down once again, and they faced Vah Ruta. Sidon bristled as he made eye contact with Ganondorf, and the Gerudo man laughed. 

“This is the brother of Mipha?” He asked incredulously, turning toward the Oracle. “He looks as scared as a pup!” 

“Do not talk to them as if they were kin!” Sidon pointed a trident toward Ganondorf, teeth bared as a snarl left his throat. “You have no business here, you were defeated long ago!” Sidon stepped forward, up onto the railing to have a vantage point. Link remained still, narrowing his eyes in thought. Why was Ganondorf so confident? What was his plan? Ganon smiled at Sidon, who only bristled further. 

“And yet, here I stand.” Ganondorf shrugged, turning to the Oracle once again. “And, you seem to speak fondly of them as well- despite having known each other for mere days.” 

Sidon watched the Oracle sway on their feet, the grip holding his sister’s trident was lax and their eyes closed. Their face was pallor, black sludge stained their chin and down their shirt. Link saw a growing rage bubble up in the prince and felt a growl reverberate through his chest. 

“What have you done to them?” Sidon demanded, flashing serrated teeth. Ganondorf’s face fell for a moment, a crack in the facade. What did it, Link wondered. When the Gerudo didn’t answer, Sidon leaned over the railing and reached his hand out. Desperation coated his movements, and Ganondorf’s scowl deepened. Link readied the bomb charm on his slate. 

“My friend!” Sidon called, stretching his clawed hand out in a last-ditch effort. “Please, talk to us! What has happened to you?” The words crawled out of his throat before he could stop them, the strain in his body evident as he pushed ever closer to them. Ganondorf, his hand still on the back of their neck, pulled them back as the Zora stretched. 

“You… you are desperate.” Ganondorf looked down his nose at the pair, orange eyes gleaming with poorly-hidden disdain. The Gerudo released his grip on the Oracle, who stumbled forward. Sidon retracted ever so slightly when they didn’t come forward. He heard Link take in a gasp through his teeth when a faint golden light began to emit from their right hand. Sidon heard the sound of Link unsheathing his sword and turned sharply, missing the way the Oracle readied the lightscale trident. 

“Well, you want your friend back that badly?” Ganondorf pushed the Oracle forward, who’s eyes snapped open upon the contact. They were completely white, rolled back into their head as if they were asleep. Then, with a foreign strength and speed, charged forward. 

“Take them.”

-

You didn’t know where you were. 

Surrounded by white walls that stretched almost endlessly, your footsteps echoed as you padded forward. There seemed to be a thin stretch of water along the floor, for every step you took it rippled and sent droplets flying. It wasn’t noticeably warm or cold, nor did you feel the water against your skin when you bent down to touch it. The liquid just rolled off your skin, repelling everything you were. 

You were walking for what felt like hours, but could as easily have been minutes. Everything was aimless, weightless, timeless. Was this a vision? Where were you before you were… here?

A sudden pain erupted from your side, causing you to double over and kneel in the water. You coughed as the blow sent fire through your skin, and when you wiped your mouth there was a black substance staining the back of your hand. Why couldn’t you feel any warning? Your gift allowed you to never be completely surprised, so why were you taken so off-guard? You sat back on your heels, touching the sludge between your fingers as fear curled deep in your belly. Blood? No, it was much too dark and thick. Were you ill? Could you even grow ill in a vision? 

A similar pain knocked through your left temple, knocking you onto your side as you cried out. This pain flowed through your bloodstream and rocked through your core, magnetizing behind your sternum. You turned over onto your stomach, dry-heaving with the weight of it. More black ooze dripped from your mouth and you felt it travel beneath your skin. You scratched at your skin, trying to rid yourself of the sensation. You had never felt pain this great in a vision, never felt ache and panic this real. 

What do you want of me? You cried out, but your voice carried nowhere. You coughed again, burning ice-cold within you. 

Please, just get me out of here. Send me home. 

You were like that for a very long time. Crying out for someone, anyone to hear you, but no one came. You were alone, isolated in an echo chamber of tortuous pain that you couldn’t sense coming. You had never been so scared in your life. And that was saying something, considering the events that have occurred over the past few days. 

Wait.

What had happened over the past few days?

Hands were on the back of your head. 

“You need to wake up now.” A voice echoed, soft and bodiless and warm, neither male nor female. It eased all the pain ricocheting through you, and your spine softened. 

Where am I? You asked again, still in your head. You figured they could probably hear it. 

“You are within your mind. A shared space between you and the goddesses.” 

Who are you? 

The voice hummed. “I think you already know that.” 

The voice was right. You did.

“I need you to do something for me, child.”

What is it? 

One of the hands left your head and guided your hand up. A ball of light appeared in your palm, taking the shape of a small triangle. You furrowed your brow. It was distinctly familiar, but you couldn’t quite place it. Its glow thrummed in time with your heart, and it seemed almost a part of you. 

“Watch over this for me.”

-

“Sidon!” Link called, jumping out of the way a split second before the Oracle would’ve skewered him like a kebab. The prince was frozen in place, holding onto the base of the trident with giant hands. The Oracle shook with the pressure of it, continuously trying to drive the weapon into his gut. 

“Sidon!” Link yelled again, and caught a glimpse of the expression Sidon wore. He was utterly distraught, mouth forming words that his throat couldn’t supply the energy to back up. Link drew his bow, firing an ice arrow just off to the side of the Zora. Sidon jumped, looking Link in the eye. 

“You have to distract them!” Link called, skidding to a halt as he prepared to launch himself onto Vah Ruta’s trunk. “I have to go after Ganon, can you handle this on your own?” 

“I-“ Sidon swallowed dryly, looking down at the Oracle. There was no evidence of strain or effort on their face, no emotion whatsoever. The only thing that gave it away that they weren’t a damned statue was the shaking in their arms as they attempted to overpower him. “I don’t want to hurt them.” 

“You have to do whatever it takes!” Link swore as Vah Ruta began to turn towards Zora Domain. “Listen to me! Swear to me you will keep your people safe!” 

Sidon looked up at the Hylian. Link’s face was distraught, red with the effort of speaking and he could hear the way the blond’s voice cracked and strained. He looked back at the Oracle, completely not themself. He felt guilt wind up right within him. Damn the gods for putting him in such a position. 

“I swear,” Sidon concluded, looking back to Link who looked more relieved than he ever had. Sidon jostled the trident, sending the handle flying into the Oracle’s side. It seemed to knock them off balance for a moment.

“Now go!” 

Link had already taken off. 

Sidon growled as he readied his spear, gripping low on the poll. The Oracle steadied themselves, crouching low and shifting their weight. Sidon watched the black sludge drip from their mouth and small cuts along their body. 

Malice.

“My dear, please wake up.” Sidon pleaded once more, stepping in a slow circle as they did the same. The pair rotated around each other, fostering a growing tension. “I do not wish to harm you, but-“ 

Sidon stammered, tightening his grip on his spear. “-But our companion is right. My loyalty belongs to my people first, I’m sorry.” 

The Oracle’s face twitched, which Sidon took as a win. But then, the Oracle lunged forward, and the feeling was quickly lost. 

-

Link rolled as he landed on the back of Vah Ruta, drawing the sword at his back as he lifted himself up onto his feet. Ganondorf turned slowly, clicking his tongue disappointedly. 

“Back again? Can you truly not resist fighting with me every regeneration?” 

Link remained silent, his throat already raw and sore from all the damned talking he’s done today. Ganon seemed put off by this, turning fully to face the Hylian. Link took in his appearance, from the sword at his hip to the missing jewel atop his forehead. The crown that held his hair back was cracked down the middle, leaving a jagged scar in the center of his forehead. There was a similar scar in the middle of his chest, where his shirt and overcoat were torn and bloody. He looked like a corpse given new life, which was actually very appropriate. 

“Not in the mood for conversation?” Ganon asked, only half rhetorically, and clapped his hands in front of his chest. “You wound me.” 

Good, Link thought pointedly. I hope you bleed out and die. 

“Well, let’s get to the point I suppose.” Ganondorf pulled his sword, glowing white and intricately carved. The Master Sword in Link’s hand seemed to glow in time, pulsing and groaning under his fingers. Almost alive. He only had a moment to ponder on this fact before Ganondorf was swiping his sword through the air, landing a slice on Link’s cheek. 

“You know, with all your knightley persuasions,” Ganon hissed, swearing when Link hit his stomach with his shield. “I thought you’d be a little more keen on protecting those who you’re close to!” 

Link furrowed his brow, not taking the bait. He missed when Ganondorf was just a mass of arms and hatred, at least then he didn’t have to sit through all his awful monologuing. He threw a bomb at the Gerudo, detonating it as soon as it was near his feet. It barely did a thing, however, as Ganondorf swung his arm through the smoke with a crazed expression. 

“You’ve always had such a hard time protecting Zelda and all your little companions, but now?” Their swords clashed and sparks flew from the metal. “You’ve lost every single one of the Champions! How awful it must feel to be that incompetent!” 

Ganondorf pushed Link away, the blond’s feet skidding atop Vah Ruta’s back. For a split second, he swore he could see the shadowy form of Mipha in front of him, her hand at his jaw and a sad smile across her lips. A twisting guilt coursed through him as he looked up at her, and then a bigger pain collided with him as Ganon’s fist collided with his stomach. Link felt himself go weightless in the air before Ganondorf’s giant hand gripped his head and forced him into Vah Ruta’s ceiling. The rock cracked around him and he cried out, blood dribbling from where he bit his tongue on the landing. 

“Look, hero.” Ganon sneered, forcing Link’s head back up and over the view of the Zora domain. It truly was a beautiful place, Link thought, vision swirling with the whiplash. “Look what has become of your precious Oracle.” 

-

Sidon spluttered, the world halting in its tracks. Blood, thick and warm, flowed over his hands and dripped onto the cracked marble terrain. He looked to the Oracle, crimson droplets spattered across their cheekbone and making lines of red that resembled tear streaks. He hadn’t meant to hurt them, he thought with panging guilt as he brought a hand to rest on the side of their face. Maybe if he could pour an elixir on their wound, it would close long enough to have a healer pay proper attention to it. In the middle of his thoughts, the Oracle tugged on their trident and Sidon felt a ripping sensation tear through his abdomen. 

Oh. They weren’t bleeding. He was. Of course. 

He rested his hand on his stomach and felt where the flesh was ripped like wet paper. He brought the hand back up and looked at it dumbly, smearing the crimson color between the pads of his fingertips and watching as it spread and clotted back together. Fascinating, he thought to himself, how the body always longs to stick together. The more reasonable part of him screamed at how inappropriate of a time it was to be thinking this way, and that he was bleeding out at that very moment you imbecile, get up! But he couldn’t stand to listen to that voice. 

So he fell to his knees, and then further.