#ch.57

"William has it."

Link looked back with a mixture of incredulity and fear, "What?"

Zelda kept the monster on her sight, "William has it," she repeated. Link's face was blank and Zelda pressed, "Not me."

Link could feel the start of a knot in his stomach, but not yet... not yet. "William!!" This was the first day he screamed so much, "take out the Mirror and get the hell away from here!!"

Ashei grabbed the reins of the horse tighter, "First I save you from falling on your head, now I have to run for my life. Fun, yeah?"

William rustled inside his clothes, cold sweat covering him, "Not my definition of fun, you weirdo." William raised the Mirror to the air, It felt hot to the touch even with the cloth that wrapped it. "Done!!" William screamed back. He then grabbed whatever part of the reins Ashei wasn't holding, "Please tell me this horse won a speeding competition or something, just lie to me."

Ashei looked back at the monster, crouched a little and felt William's slight trembling.

The monster raised its head, screeched to the sky, and fell to the other side of the building.

Ashei felt her blood rising to her head. William breathed out and whimpered, "It's following Zelda."

Link cursed against Zelda's hair. The knot on his stomach was tightening, "It's following you."

Zelda looked back and screamed at some soldiers to take cover. "Fine, let me fight it."

Link screamed to let people know they should stay home, "Magic is too powerful, no? You don't know how to control it properly."

"This feels different." Zelda felt different. Like Light magic was hers and it would never hurt her.

"We need the Master Sword." Link was so pissed he had gone and put it back, he felt the weight of the sword on his back as if it was mocking him.

"It's three days to Ordon!"

"We can make it in two, one and a half."

"And kill Epona?"

"She can manage."

"Let me fight it."

Link answered through his teeth, "We don't even know if your magic will work. We don't know if you'll manage."

They were nearing the plaza and Zelda sighed in relief when she saw soldiers moving civilians away. "I know I can."

"Zelda if it hurts you..."

"It won't."

Link sighed in frustration, but had to bite down whatever he wanted to say because Zelda was glaring at him and her eyes were shining.

"Let me fight it," Zelda said, and Link tightened his jaw.

"If anything goes wrong we go to Ordon," he guided Epona away from a stall, "the plaza sounds good?"

"Yes, though we'll have to reconsider if there are too many people."

Link answered through his teeth and heard screams from behind them. Zelda peered from over his shoulder and felt a slight spark of glee.

She could, and would beat that monster. She could, and would protect her people.

Now she knew why Link jumped into trouble.

The soldiers were ushering away the last of the people who wandered around the plaza when Link arrived.

Zelda jumped off Epona and Link jumped behind her, sword already in hand.

No one dared move a muscle, and when Zelda raised her hand everyone around her waited expectantly.

The monster arrived sliding its feet through the floor, and the moment Zelda called forth her magic the monster screeched.

Zelda could hear the sighs around her. People relaxing and feeling relief wash over them as their Princess protected them. As her magic, gold and clear, surrounded her and disappeared, making her look like a spirit herself.

The monster tried to bite at Zelda, but her shield wouldn't let it pass.

Link stood next to Zelda, sword in hand, he swung the sword, keeping his muscles warm.

The monster stumbled back and Zelda's magic vanished. Zelda gave a step forward and the monster tried to scare her away with a screech.

Link followed her like a shadow, and when Zelda called forth her magic again and the monster made an attempt to fall back, Link cut the monster's legs.

"You're doing great," Link encouraged, "It's hurting."

Zelda could feel her hand trembling but remained silent. The monster started to shed its body to the sky. Black pieces that returned to the black tear above them.

Zelda wobbled and Link put an arm around her back, "Zelda," he warned, he asked. Link looked to the monster, it was shrinking and looking less menacing by the minute, "Zelda, we can go to Ordon, in this state it won't pose any danger-"

"The hole isn't closing," Zelda breathed, "what if more monsters fall while we are away?"

Link saw sweat pearling Zelda's face, "This is too much on your body."

And Zelda couldn't deny it, so she bit her lip and kept on forcing her magic out. Her legs felt weak and he vision was getting blurry.

"Zelda," Link started, he was moving his head between the monster, the hole and Zelda, and his anxiety was rising.

"I can do it," Zelda rested on Link's arms, let her weight fall on him.

"Zelda, please."

"I can do it."

How many days behind that damned barrier? How many nights pondering about what to do next? How many regrets spat at herself? She could do it now, nothing but herself restrained her to do so... shameful.

It was a mantra inside her head. How dare she fall short on the only thing she could beat alone? What type of ruler would she be if she ran away now? Should she have ran away before? She had given up once, if she gave up twice...

"I know you can do it, but you're-"

Oh, sweet Link, too good, too pure, too strong. Zelda had relied on him too much. Everyone had relied on him too much. How dare they. How dare she. "I'm so sorry, Link."

Link frowned and grabbed Zelda with both his arms, "Zelda, you can't stand on your own," his tears pooled in his eyes and Zelda wouldn't stop.

"Then hold me," she whispered.

Link could feel Zelda trembling, overexerting herself to the point it scared him, "Zelda, please, stop."

Link hugged her, in an attemp to support her weight or to stop her from using magic, she didn't know. But he hugged her and her head fell between his neck and shoulder as if it was made for her. Link kept on repeating for her to stop but Zelda could taste the desperation of her people and she knew victory was just a couple of seconds away.

When the last of the monster disappeared. When the last of the black traces went back to the hole and only a thin black line remained in the sky. When Zelda made sure to watch it so it remained close, she let herself melt into Link.

Link was crying into her shoulder and Zelda caressed his back.

"Don't do that again," he whimpered, "please, never do that again."

Zelda wasn't sure whether he meant using magic as much as she did right now or throwing herself into danger with things she didn't know could work just for the sake of her people. Maybe both. Link hugged her closer.

Zelda smiled to herself, "Hey, I beat the monster," Link hummed, "I told you I would."

Link was ready to snort and laugh a little, maybe let Zelda laugh at his face and wipe away his tears. But then she collapsed into his arms and Link's stomach tied itself into a knot. He called her name, shook her a little, but he got no answer.