The Heroes' Rebirth | BOTW Sequel/Zelink (The Legend of Zelda)

Chapter 11: Dark

Link drew his sword back and readied for another attack. They exchanged blow after blow, but the other was there to block and retaliate every time. Neither of them possessed a shield, so it was all offensive attacks.

Link tried his best to find weak points in Dark's fighting style, but couldn't. It was like he knew when and where he would strike next. He fought exactly how Link did.

It was tiring, Link breathed heavy and sweat began to drip down his neck. The heat from the fire mixed with the maximum effort he was putting out was almost too much. Never had a monster lasted this long against him. Dark looked unfazed by the fight. He wore the same cold and angry expression.

Link drew his sword far back and tried swiping upward, but whiffed it. Dark Link easily dodged it and struck Link and the back with butt of his sword. Zelda let out a cry as Link collapsed to the ground. Link raised his sword over his body, expecting a swing from Dark, but instead got a powerful kick to the stomach. Link doubled over. He felt a foot step on his shoulder to turn him over. He looked up at Dark Link with his sword raised high. Victory flashed in his eyes.

"I didn't think it'd be this easy," he spat.

Link raised his sword over his body. Everything ached. He could barely hold it for a few seconds.

"There can only be one hero."

Dark Link brought his sword down with all the force he possessed in his body of malice. He swung down on Link, but stopped in mid air, about a foot above Link's face. Dark Link's sword now lit up with a yellow color, flashing and dinging. Link snapped his head over to Zelda, who had the Shiekah Slate pointed at the sword.

She had activated Stasis.

"What is this?" Dark Link pulled sword back, but it wouldn't budge. The sword was frozen in mid-air.

Link knew exactly what she was thinking. The sword was just far enough away, so Link took his own, and wailed on it. He swung the master sword as hard and as fast as he could. The yellow quickly turned to orange and just as fast to red. The dinging became faster, too.

Dark Link continued to yank on the sword suspended in the air. His red eyes shot to Zelda.

"What did you do?" he growled.

The flashing and dinging was now insanely fast. Dark Link's hands were tight around the hilt as he yanked harder. Then, in the blink of an eye, the sword, along with Dark Link, skyrocketed into the air, far over the hill, and disappeared into the night sky.

He was gone. For now.

Link feel back onto the grass to catch his breath. Zelda attached the slate to her pants and ran over to him.

"Are you ok?" she asked kneeling down over him.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just a little shocked is all."

Zelda stood up and stretched her hand out to him. He took it and she pulled him off the ground. They both looked over the hill to where he had disappeared.

"That was the malice they used?" Zelda said.

"It has to be," Link responded. "I must've somehow given it life... or something. I don't know..." He trailed off as he looked at his house and saw Epona once again.

He sharply sighed and began to jog to the bridge. They could start to feel raindrops hit their bodies.

"Start to put it out," he said over his shoulder. Zelda watched him draw farther away and to the villagers. She found a toppled bucket on the ground nearby and filled it with the water from the pond.