FA+
Shop
![Wild Hearts, Stifled Breaths (Part 14) [Epilogue]](http://t.furaffinity.net/36593812@150-1590894966.jpg "Wild Hearts, Stifled Breaths (Part 14) [Epilogue]")
279 submissions
Link hacked and slashed through empty air at an imaginary foe. Despite the lack of an actual threat, he remained ever focused as he spun and blocked nonexistent hits against him. His boots crunched as his feet moved great with finesse. He crouched to swing low, then sprang up to swing high. He twirled his Master Sword in his dexterous hands, before leaping forward, summersaulting on the grass, and finishing with a stab that would have vanquished anyone standing in front of him.
It didn't matter that it was just a practice session; Link was still as diligent as he'd be on an actual battlefield. Just as the academy had done, he trained himself to never waver in decisions or actions. After all, how could he be ready to face the biggest threats if his mind wasn't as well-trained as his body?
All the while, Mipha sat by a large tree nearby as she looked on. The glint in her copper eyes and soft smile gave away how much she enjoyed watching the man of her affections at work. He moved so fluently, his hair flowing with his momentum, muscles visibly rippling through his tunic. She rested her head in her arms, elbows on her knees, and sighed as she was lulled into the blissful visual.
That is, until Link soon ceased his efforts, standing still and turning his head towards her. Broken out of her daze, the princess did her best to veil the fact that she'd been ogling him so. She tried to hide her embarrassment as Link walked over to her, staring at her with confusion.
In truth, Link himself had needed to put a bit more effort into not diverting his own gaze towards her throughout his session. The peaceful, serene image of something as simple as her sitting against that thick trunk was a sight for sore eyes, and would surely break him out of his hardened concentration should he allow himself to take it in. It was also a contrast to how nervous she could often be, and Link wished to see this more relaxed side of the aquatic beauty more often.
But sadly, that seemed to vanish as soon as he addressed her. She now resembled a child caught trying to sneak in a bite of a meal before it was served. He couldn't help but still find it adorable, though.
"H-have you finished already?" Mipha stuttered.
Link shook his head. "A few more rounds and I'm done." Mipha nodded, and Link began turning around to resume.
But then an idea popped into his head. One that would not only serve as a reprieve between his rounds, but also hopefully bring his friend back to good spirits for longer.
So, instead of walking away, he went to pick up two of the retractable wooden staffs he'd brought with him. He then went back over to her and held out his hand.
"Care to spar for a round?" he asked. His subtle voice let out a trace of nervousness in the question, not used to being the initiator of such social activities, even with just one other individual.
He wasn't too surprised to see her reaction. She didn't look like she knew what to do, though Link still didn't fully understand why. Sure, he himself was nervous, but he largely credited that to the notion of sparring with his love interest. Still, he pushed that down and kept his hand extended.
"I would think I don't stand a chance against you," Mipha said, genuinely humble.
"Hmph," Link let out a dry chuckle and smirk. "Try me."
Mipha found herself taken aback a bit. While it would of course be all in good fun, she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of the master swordsman, let alone her romantic desire. But something in how lightheartedly Link made the offer prevented her from turning it down. Instead, ignoring the pounding in her heart, Mipha took his hand, feeling its gentle yet firm grip as she was pulled up. She grabbed the second staff and followed the boy to where he'd been practicing before.
Both had sparred with others previously, so they knew the standards and precautions involved. And so, Link lowered himself slightly into a battle stance and raised his staff, and watched as Mipha slowly did the same following him. He then tilted his head, allowing her to make the first move.
After a slightly delayed response to the gesture, Mipha obliged. She shoved the end of her staff at his chest, trying to keep from hurting him but maybe going too light as a result. Link veered to the side easily to dodge it, before swinging his own staff at her feet, causing her to jump back. The hero had a mischievous glint in his cerulean eyes, inching closer to her as she awkwardly paced around him. Appearing somehow encouraged by this look of his, she took another jab at him, this time swinging diagonally in a noticeably stronger arc. Link backflipped out of the way, but still felt the weapon lightly graze his knees. He then took the opportunity to go in for a counterattack, which Mipha then blocked. Another attempt, another block.
In that moment, the two seemed to finally click, and engaged in their duel more assertively. Mipha began leaping and flipping around as her opponent gradually made his advances trickier, sharpening her focus and beginning to think a few steps ahead. And Link, in a turn of the tables, now found himself unable to resist staring at the Zora's lovely and alluring movements, just as she had at his earlier. The way she moved, her blowing sash highlighting her appearance, how she spun her weapon expertly, fins flowing and lithe frame weaving its way around his efforts. But most disarming was the confident and even slightly cocky smile he noticed her now sporting, appearing to finally be having fun with this contest, just as he'd hoped for.
It was distracting enough to keep him from dodging a hit to the gut with the tail end of Mipha's staff. As he reeled back, she then launched herself up to bring her feet onto his shoulders, before kicking them off to knock him onto his back.
Link was stunned by the bold move, along with the agility and surprising strength required for it. She even topped it off with a rather prideful look and pose, a rare thing to see from her that brought forth yet another layer of the attraction he felt for the princess.
The Hylian simply matched her smile with his own and uttered, "No more going easy."
Link then launched himself back up and, in a sneaky maneuver, hooked his staff around hers. He tried to yank it out of her hands, but she ended up dragged along with it. As a result, while the two were able to avoid a hard collision, they nonetheless now found their bodies touching. Mipha's shoulder was tucked against Link's chest, the side of her waist against the front of his.
The friends' eyes met each other, inches apart. They tried to steady their breathing as the minimal air between them went thick. Mipha had to suppress a light groan upon being reminded just how tight and firm Link's chest was, and Link could feel Mipha's smooth, slender thigh brushing up against his own. It went unbeknownst to either of them how badly the other wanted to close what little distance was left, wrapping each other up in physical declarations of intimacy. It was as if time itself had frozen.
Nonetheless, they merely remained in this state for a few more seconds, until Link was finally able to recover enough sense to release his hook. Mipha could then take a few steps back, feeling herself flush with heat despite being in a fairly cool location, while Link's usually steady hands trembled as they grasped his weapon.
The princess coughed awkwardly, her familiar shyness now returning. She brought her hands together tightly before uttering, "Thank … thank you for that. I certainly … um, enjoyed myself."
The Hylian took another second to further gather himself, before nodding his head quickly.
It was fun, indeed. Regardless of the pain in his heart that he'd just gotten as close to her as he believed he could ever get, it was worth it to enlighten the Zora and bring out that looser side to her, similarly to what she'd been doing for him since their reunion.
And yet, despite all that, they still held themselves back in one crucial regard.
The memory of that moment returned to Link in his dreams, one of his favorites with Mipha. In the few minutes required to relive the entire experience, he was granted sweet escape from the memories of his present terrors.
But that escape only ended up cruelly ripped away from him when the time came to reenter the world of the conscious. His eyes slowly began to peel back open, though not yet able to make out anything clear. He couldn't recall the exact last thing that had happened to him, but the dull throbbing in the side of his head told him it was nothing pleasant.
As his senses returned to him, Link could feel an unwavering grip around his arms and legs. He tried to move himself, but found his body unable to budge. His mouth was extremely dry, and swallowing was rather difficult.
It was then that he remembered his situation as of late, and groaned in dread, the sound muffled by cloth.
However, as he finally regained himself fully, Link saw that he was no longer bound the same way as before. Rather, he was now tied along some sort of metallic frame around his height. It was fairly simple structure, metal about four inches wide forming a large rectangular shape. The frame had been chained down to the ground, holding it securely in place. And standing in the middle of it was Link, his wrists tied crossed above his head with the rope knotted tightly at the top. His ankles were also tied separately to the sides of the frame, keeping them several feet apart. The symbol-sporting cloth that had been used to gag him was also now back over his mouth as opposed to running through it. Slightly more tolerable, but not enough to matter to him.
"Oh good, you're awake," a familiar voice entered his ears.
Link turned to his left, and moaned when he saw that it was Jora who had spoken, accompanied by Ohram. Both had their arms crossed and stared at him with much displeasure. Link pulled at his bonds in response, but they were unsurprisingly secure, and the frame hardly budged in his efforts.
Looking around, the Hylian found himself in a large, circular chamber. Mysterious markings were etched into nearly every inch of the large walls that barricaded the area. The sky was visible thanks to a red-tinted glass that made up the ceiling, which had been constructed in a peculiar fashion to not only resemble a giant, all-seeing eye, but to allow the full moon to shine through in a large, concentrated beam. And on that note, the full moon itself signaled that it was well into the night; torches had been set ablaze throughout the room to provide a more constant light source.
Link could also see many Yiga soldiers scrambling around in the background, both Footsoldiers and Blademasters, the latter of which gave away some special importance for whatever arrangement was happening before him. He could see some of the Yiga with small, unknown potions, while others held jars of a strange purple gas. Others still held a few needled syringes, their opaqueness concealing whatever was inside them, and a few more were grinding an array of herbs or spices into a wooden bowl. He also noticed that most of the Yiga were wearing some sort of dark red cloaks, keeping their already-masked faces even more hidden.
What unsettled the captive Hylian most, however was when his eyes caught the familiar statue of the pig-shaped incarnation of Ganon that had previously been in Ohram's quarters, bright red rupee eyes and all. He had previously thought it to be but a decoration for the dreaded leader of the Yiga, making Link wonder why it was now here. Whatever the reason, its mere presence was enough to unsettle him even further as its "eyes" consistently held onto him.
"Curious, I see," Jora said, turning Link's attention back to his captor. Link's positioning in the frame gave him a bend at the knees, allowing Jora to be slightly taller than him when full standing height. Nonetheless, Link stared up at her as defiantly as ever.
"You should feel honored, Chosen One. All of this," she spread her arms, "Is the result of so much time and planning. And it's all for you."
The ritual? Link surmised. It was easy to piece together that these delusional beings somehow planned to make him join by force. Not just by means of some threat or sadistic choice, but against his own conscious will. But how was that possible?
"You'll thank us for our generosity soon enough, boy," Ohram said flatly, seeing the confusion on their captive's face.
"Mmphrrmmnn phrrnnnm," Link grumbled, his snark even making it through the gag.
"Have something to say?" Jora asked. "Well, how about we give you the chance … your last words before succumbing to our will."
With that, the Yiga walked up to Link. The hero reeled his head back, but Jora ended up not hurting him, but rather pulling the Yiga's symbol down to his neck. The boy was very surprised, but wasted no time in spitting out the other fabric stuffed inside. He found he could barely even cough from just how barren and dry his mouth had been after all this time.
There was so much he could say to this female right now, finally having such freedom after going for days without it. However, after trying to recover some fraction of his voice, there was only one thing immediately on the noble hero's mind.
He just barely managed to hoarsely whisper out, "Where is Mipha?"
Jora and Ohram exchanged glances at that. Their expressions were unreadable behind their masks, but Link became worried seeing Jora's head fall.
If they've done anything else to her, I swear on Hylia I'll ...
Ohram responded before Link could finish the vengeful thought. "I'm afraid she ... proved too resilient for us." Link's face hardened. "She somehow managed to escape, and our guards had to resort to excessive force to re-contain her ... too excessive."
Link's form tensed up, his wrists twitching in their ropes. If Ohram was implying what Link thought he was ...
"She's gone, Link," Jora finished, sounding convincingly sullen. "She's dead."
This was largely a lie. Yes, the Zora had indeed somehow gotten free from her bonds and escaped her cell, many hours ago. However, rather than being able to stop her, three of their own were found dead at the exterior of the hideout, and the girl had completely disappeared. Nonetheless, they were determined to feed Link a much more hopeless outcome.
And feed it they did. Link felt like he could wither away to pieces right there. Words couldn't do justice to describe the pit of emptiness he'd fall into should such a thing truly transpire. His eyes welled up, his body trembling, hands twitching. He barely felt the drive to struggle. It couldn't be true … it just couldn't … then there would be nothing for him.
Or was there already nothing for him anyway? No path to true happiness?
"No …" he uttered, his voice raspy. "She's not dead …"
"Is that what you need to believe?" Ohram asked.
"I'm sorry, Link," Jora stated. "But I-"
"YOU'RE LYING-" Link's outburst was cut off by a fit of coughing.
Hylia, he just wanted the pain to end. Physical, mental, everything in between, just let it end!
Ohram just huffed as he observed his pitiful prisoner. He may not have completely bought their lie, but it was clear that the seeds of doubt had been sown nonetheless. And that was enough; they could now grow, with the right treatment and nourishment. Just the same as all the doubting thoughts they'd instilled in his mind during his stay, and however many more had taken root beforehand.
And now was the time for the nourishment. Jora raised her hand and pointed to Link, and other Yiga in the room took various action in response.
"There is a tale," Ohram suddenly started, "Of a time where the minions of the great Ganon attempted to resurrect him after he was slain by the supposed hero. But, fascinatingly, they attempted to do so through sprinkling on his ashes the blood of the hero himself."
As he spoke, some Yiga began opening the jars of mist and spreading it throughout the chamber. There was more than enough to enfold the room in a dark purple fog, one that also gave a tint to the moonbeams flowing in.
"What is this?" Link demanded.
"We found ourselves first wondering how such a thing could be accomplished," Ohram ignored him and continued. "But then a new, more testable question came about … what does this say about the blood of you, or of your history of chosen sword-bearers?"
Link's eyes bore a sickly combination of hatred and bewilderment, both at the words being spoken and the potion bottles being shaken. But the former was keeping his attention more, preventing him from seeing more Yiga pour a liquified form of the grounded herbs into their needle-clad vials, and taking them to Link.
"It is a stretch, but could it be that through your veins flows some quantity of the essence of the Great One himself?" Ohram said. "That these heroes throughout generations are the links between the light and the dark? The great bridge that binds other destinies together through his own?"
His essence? The great bridge? How far gone are these people?! Link thought through the lunacy of the conjecture. "That's impossible," he growled.
"Perhaps," Jora answered. "But if true, Link, then tonight we begin our turn with the 'hero'. We see if indeed there is that lifeblood of Ganon ready to finally become whole … and in doing so, shift the tide of not just this new rising Calamity, but perhaps Hyrule history itself."
Link went not a second before shouting, "You're all insa-augh!!"
A sharp pain in Link's upper hip cut him off, as a Yiga ended up jabbing it with one of the vials' needles. An attached pump was then pushed, forcing the liquid herbs inside. Link struggled and squirmed, but it only made the pain worse. He hissed through his teeth as his opposite hip was also injected just as roughly.
Once the contents were all emptied, the two Yiga backed away. And suddenly, Link felt like his own blood flow was accelerating. His heart was pumping, with him feeling both the liveliest and most numb he'd felt in weeks. As if his body recognized danger but couldn't figure out the source.
Nonetheless, the stoic looks on Jora and Ohram's faces motivated him to weakly cry out, "What was that?! What did you do?!" He thrashed himself in his ropes, but not only were they too tight to budge, but just the action alone was suddenly enough to make Link feel dizzy.
Two cloaked Yiga then dragged the Ganon statue closer to Link, its eyes now appearing to bear into his soul. More Yiga were gathering around in some sort of circular formation. His sights were turned away from them, however, when Jora harshly grabbed his head by the chin and forced his mouth open, long enough to pour a bottle of the mysterious potion into his mouth. She looked him straight in the eyes with fervor as she tightened her grip. Link tried to resist swallowing, but the current state of his body somehow caused it all to slide down his throat practically involuntarily.
When it was done, Jora then took the cloth hanging around his neck and gagged him with it yet again.
"Mmph!" Link cried. Jora still gripped his face and brought herself to his eye level. Behind them, the hooded Yiga were beginning some ominous, unintelligible chant, repeating several phrases over and over. All the while, the jittery sensation in Link's body was now accompanied by a blurring of his senses. The chamber was still able to be made out, but it was fuzzy. As were the chanting voices he heard. Worse yet, every sight and sound he could register was somehow feeling more unpleasant, as if the entire world was now trying to beat him down and make him succumb to the worst it had to offer. It was a building assault on his senses.
Jora forced Link's head forward, giving Link a full view of the gem eyes of the Ganon statue. Except now, they shone brighter from the red-and-violet-tinged beams of the moonlight shining directly onto them, through the ominous eye-shaped ceiling. It looked as if the statue was coming to life right before the boy.
"The full moon has risen, hero," Jora said. "And through the eyes of our god, it turns to blood. Look into it. Look, and let the darkness and malice within you emerge … and consume you."
Try as he might, Link couldn't go against her wishes, couldn't look away. He was unable to tell if his body was blatantly disobeying him, or if he simply wasn't even trying. Either way, he kept a continuous gaze towards the frightening orbs.
The fire within his body, the harshening of his senses, the sound of the chanting - which Jora and Ohram were now joining in on - and the image of this sinister beast, were overpowering Link's body and mind second by second. It all intensified; whether in reality or in his head was unclear. He didn't even register himself leaning forward as much as his bonds allowed, now drawn in to the stare of the statue like a hypnosis victim.
"Mmmmgh …… nnnnmmhh …… rrrrmmm ……"
And then, everything was spinning. His body was going into what resembled a seizure. He no longer had control of himself. All senses now mixed as one. What he once could hear he now could feel touching him; what he once could see was now audial. It was an onslaught unlike anything he could possibly describe. The world around him turned red, with his eyes now glowing that same color to match the statue's. His sight then split into two duplicates. Then those duplicates duplicated. And so on, and so on, until there was an uncountable amount in his vision, separated by some eerie black void.
And then, all he could register was his own piercing cry. "HMMMMMMMPH!!!"
And then he felt that cry transform into the roar of a demon. And then the infinite copies of visions disintegrated into the void.
And then nothing.
"On your right!"
Urbosa warned of a Yiga Blademaster about to deal a blow to one of her soldiers, who was successfully able to dodge him thanks to the alert. Two more Gerudos joined their comrade to take the large brute down.
Having each other's backs in such a manner was crucial to keeping up their charge into the Yiga Hideout.
It had taken many hours, but Urbosa and her army finally had a suitable, multi-faceted plan for their attack and rescue of their Hylian ally. The first phase of which was getting through the canyon filled with defenses, undoubtedly on extra alert with the escape of their Zora captive. Many Gerudos took to the upper heights of the landscape, perched on the sharp edges of the terrain. From there, they had waited patiently until the rest of the army was in position, before finally making their moves against the enemy's higher-up forces. Their stealthy approach gave them the upper hand, easing the struggle as their ground troops attacked. Having seen the Yiga's fighting techniques firsthand, Urbosa and Revali were a major help in constructing the best formations to deal with them en masse.
Urbosa herself was, unsurprisingly, at the front of the ground assault. Her skills were invaluable for taking out swaths of Yiga with less effort than most of her fellow Gerudos. One minute she managed to stun an attacker by blocking them with her Daybreaker, followed by a swift finishing move. The next, she had three soldiers lined up perfectly for a massive swath of her Scimitar that slashed all three across the stomach, just before needing to slide down to avoid an incoming attack from behind by a Blademaster. Wanting to deal with this opponent swiftly, she summoned a burst of lightning onto the Yiga with the snap of her fingers, which took him down along with several other nearby Footsoldiers.
Revali, meanwhile, was suitably assisting those higher up, utilizing his famed combination of expert flight maneuvers and archery mastery to excellent effect. He had the greatest view of the battle as he soared above it, seeking out any weak spots in their advances that required his aid and quick to react accordingly. He could even use his specialized bow to knock down a Yiga soldier in one area while on the path to another, making him one of the army's most efficient members. At one point, Revali allowed himself to freefall from his position in the sky, so that he could fire multiple arrows towards Yiga getting the drop on some unlucky Gerudo soldiers. He landed on top of one once the rest were taken care of, and then took off again to allow the ground soldiers to keep up their own fight.
They were making progress, slowly but steadily. Currently, the army had gotten halfway through the canyon, all while successfully ensuring that they had the ground behind them covered, so as to avoid being newly trapped between hordes of foes. Their experience, skill, planning, and drive were enough to overcome the odds and get them ever closer to saving their hero.
And maybe even bringing down the Yiga as a whole in the process.
An environment began to form in Link's vision, surrounding him in dark pinks and purples. He could feel himself lying on a bitterly cold ground, hard as rock. As his eyes fully recovered and he scanned the area, he found that the whole terrain was like that: stone and rock making up an elaborate cave, colored in that same palette and pattern. The ground, walls, ceiling, and even stalactites and stalagmites glowed and throbbed, pulsing like blood through the structures' "veins".
Link couldn't make out any sensation of the air around him. It wasn't humid, dry, cold ... it felt as though none filled the cave at all, and yet Link could still breathe. Even stranger, and possibly just a figment of his imagination, the cave walls and floor were beginning to slightly move and swirl around in a just-noticeable fluid motion, as if the cave had been forming right in front of him.
He didn't recognize this place. He couldn't even remember how he got here. But it was sending continuous chills down his neck, and adding on to the weariness and disorientation he was feeling.
'You have nothing.'
Voices could suddenly be heard … or something that barely resembled voices. It was faint, coming through in a loud, distorted series of unison whispers, untraceable to any one location.
Getting up felt like a fight in itself. Link brought a hand to his head as he got to one knee, the other hand grasping a leg, trying to regain some semblance of strength.
As he lay half-risen, the voices returned again. 'No one cares for you.'
"Wh-who … who said that?" Link asked in an exhausted, bitter tone.
'Give in …' the voices only responded.
Give in to what?
The dazed Hylian stumbled his way further along the cave, pressing his hands against the nearest wall for support. His head was held low, his breathing deep, as just raising that few feet felt the same as transporting from the ground to a five-mile-high mountain, with all the effects that such a change in elevation would provide.
He then felt the wall he was touching move, some wet texture shifting through his fingers as a squelching sound could be heard. He pulled his hands away quickly, only to see them now having some slimy substance on them, a swirl of the same colors that coated the cave itself. It was only then that Link realized that this same substance was crawling along the cave's whole interior, like a layer of paint in motion.
Link gasped and stumbled backwards, having to keep himself from falling back down. He could hear and feel more gooey squelching at his feet with each step back he took. Deeply unnerved, he shook his hands frantically to dislodge the substance, with most of it thankfully coming off.
'It's all around you.'
'It calls to you.'
As the voice made more remarks, Link's head shot around in all directions. He clumsily reached down for his sword, drawing it from the sheath and tensing up to prepare to fight.
'That's not your friend. We are. Your only friend.'
"Who are you?" Link uttered weakly, trying to ignore the words. Despite them coming from a complete stranger, he couldn't help but feel struck by them somehow. Like their opinion was the only thing that mattered to him now. "Sh-show yourself-"
Link's feeble demands were cut off when something caught the corner of his eye below him.
His face then burst into utter shock and horror when he saw his shadow begin to move!
It was stretching out, taking on some indeterminable shape, but moving freely regardless. Link took several steps back, and the shadow mirrored him accordingly while simultaneously acting on its own accord. Link's chest heaved in and out, with him feeling close to panicking at the freakish occurrence.
But then, as if that wasn't enough, the shadow soon, seven feet away, began rising upward. Not on the ground, but into the three-dimensional space of the cave. Link's heart raced as he observed it mold itself into the form of a being like him … very much like him, actually. Equal height, equal shape and outline. The difference being that it was just a single, uniformly black entity.
That is, until it began to slowly take on distinguished colors. It began sprouting white hair that matched the style and thickness of his own. Its black skin transitioned into a sickly dark grey, along with the texture of a Hylian's and the same Hylian ears Link had.
But the most disturbing part was when clothing came to dissolve onto it … clothing that was the exact same as Link's Champion wear, except shades of black and grey instead of the noble blues and whites he sported.
It was something out of a fever dream, but what he saw was unmistakable; from Link's shadow, a dark, twisted version of himself had grown.
And then, after moments of lingering, it opened its eyes. Its glowing, bright red eyes.
Link's current unsavory journey looked a bit more peaceful from the outside.
While he experienced the twisted sights within the plane of his mind, Jora, Ohram and the still-chanting Yiga around them watched his eyes remain locked onto those of their hog statue. His stare was blank, but unwavering, eyelids not even blinking, telling the ritual's initiators that their plans were going accordingly.
This was confirmed even further when the physical changes to their hopeful new recruit began. The hairs on his head were now displaying silver slivers amidst the sea of gold, and his skin was growing a tiny bit darker with every passing minute. He was falling, succumbing to the darkness within himself. Darkness that he'd repressed, unknowing that releasing it would serve a far greater good, a necessary evil.
Jora sighed at the sight, still regretting that this well-intentioned young man forced himself to be put through this. But it was too late for him. Their soldier would awaken soon.
Their only true fear was the news that an invasion had broken out at the front of their hideout. It was apparently the work of the Gerudo people, led by the chief herself. Sightings had even been reported of a Rito in the fight, which Jora was quick to realize was another one of their Champions.
They clearly knew of the Yiga's possession of their precious hero. Jora believed that their escaped Zora prisoner had somehow made her way to the desert town and told them everything … little did she know that it was, in fact, the deductions of Princess Zelda that blew their cover. Regardless, the situation had become far more urgent. And she could see behind her father's stoic posture that he too was concerned.
But they couldn't quicken their pace. Everything had to be just right.
She just hoped that, judging by the changes already noticeable in their captive, they had enough time.
We're almost in! Urbosa thought.
The battle had grown fiercer the closer the invading army got to their destination. The Yiga soldiers were upping their aggressiveness, throwing more caution to the wind in their attacks. This made it easier to beat each one due to the added carelessness, but also meant that they had managed to take out more of the Gerudos at a quickened pace. And needless to say, Urbosa's Fury no longer just applied to her specialized ability; she felt her rage awakened with every death on her side she was unfortunate enough to witness.
But they persevered through all of it, finally reaching the entrance to the hideout. The new issue, however, lay with the Yiga's wise decision to put their heaviest concentration of units there. As effective as the Gerudo army had been in picking off their numbers, these troops guarding the way inside had gone untouched.
This didn't faze Urbosa, as she made her charge, her sisters following behind her. Many Yiga appeared from multiple directions, but were bashed aside where surrounding Gerudos could deal with them. Urbosa kicked one leg out to knock back a Footsoldier on her left, while slicing her scimitar through the neck of one on her right, followed by a sweep of her shield to send one in front of her off his feet before finishing him off.
Unfortunately for her, the Yiga by this point had realized that the chief was their biggest combat threat. Which meant that as the fight continued, she was receiving more and more of their comparative focus, causing her to be worn down quicker than usual. It was for this reason that she ended up surrounded by three Blademasters, their Windcleavers pointed directly at her. Even she had to admit that these guys were tough to take down one-on-one, let alone a trio of them. One of them parried with her for a bit, until he managed to get an opening on her shoulder. It wasn't too severe, but it was enough for him to then knock her beloved scimitar away. She had just used her Fury, rendering her with few options as Footsoldiers joined in from all sides, while one of the Blademasters prepared to attack.
That was when Revali soared above the fray. But he was not alone. On his back was a figure light enough to not weigh him down, gripping tightly onto a long, silver trident. As the Rito circled around, his passenger got her weapon ready, eyes locked on to the Blademaster about to strike Urbosa. Revali then swooped down lower, before the figure leapt off and descended to the ground.
The Blademaster's efforts were halted when the sharp trident was suddenly jammed through his neck, its speed from above giving it enough power to finish him off. The wielder of the weapon then flipped herself over him as she dislodged the trident, before landing beside Urbosa amidst the horde of enemies.
The Yiga were surprised to see the assailant be none other than the Zora who had slipped out of their reach.
When Mipha came to after passing out in the Hideout, she found herself in Gerudo Town, with her saviors turning out to be the scouts sent by Urbosa. They had brought her back to the town just in the nick of time before her condition became too serious, bathing her in the crisp, cool aqueducts and providing her with the treatment, food, and water she so desperately needed.
When she was filled in on everything, however, Mipha immediately sought to take action, insisting on joining in the rescue efforts. The passion and determination in her eyes appeared almost alien on the princess many knew as rather timid and unsure of herself. But it was clear that not only was her drive to save their remaining captured Champion as high as theirs, but whatever she'd been put through in that hellhole had brought out this headstrong side to her that she was not going to let go to waste. She pushed to take part, and made clear that nothing they did would stop her. She even asserted herself into the planning of the attack, bringing forth her knowledge of the hideout's ins and outs from her time there and making the picture much clearer for the Gerudos. Many watched her take the charge and saw the capable future queen she'd been born to one day become.
Mipha was more than ready to face whatever more she needed to save her hero. Whatever it took. She spun her trident around in an act of intimidation, her fiery eyes daring these Yiga to come forth and face her wrath.
With the enemy's attention now turned to her, Mipha provided the new path for Urbosa to once again gain an upper hand. The two Champions exchanged looks of relief for each other, before getting to work on their surrounding foes. They worked considerably well together, Urbosa's fluid and heavy style complementing Mipha's more rapid and precise style.
Keeping together and not letting up, it wouldn't be long until they were inside the villainous lair.
Fear not, my love, Mipha thought. We're coming.
She just hoped they weren't too late.
The Legend of Zelda franchise, the image used, and all characters and settings portrayed (except named Yiga members), all belong to Nintendo.
Originally uploaded on May 10, 2020.
And so the finale has begun! As has the built-up ritual to convert Link into a mindless slave for the Yiga. And yes, the duplicate from his shadow and the transformation he's undergoing are both what you think it is. In general, this is certainly one of the most out-there things I've come up with yet. As such, it was fun to imagine the strangeness and bring it to life, and there's still more to come in the next chapter. Also, you might think that the setup we saw for Link here was the last kind of bondage he'd face ... but there's one more …
Plus, the big battle of the Gerudo army to break their way in, leading to finally seeing Mipha fully recovered and in action! She may have gotten little time here, but she'll get more!
Anyway, thank you again for reading! I'm especially curious what people think of this one.
Link's gag speech translated:
"Mmphrrmmnn phrrnnnm," - "I'm sure I'll be flattered,"
It didn't matter that it was just a practice session; Link was still as diligent as he'd be on an actual battlefield. Just as the academy had done, he trained himself to never waver in decisions or actions. After all, how could he be ready to face the biggest threats if his mind wasn't as well-trained as his body?
All the while, Mipha sat by a large tree nearby as she looked on. The glint in her copper eyes and soft smile gave away how much she enjoyed watching the man of her affections at work. He moved so fluently, his hair flowing with his momentum, muscles visibly rippling through his tunic. She rested her head in her arms, elbows on her knees, and sighed as she was lulled into the blissful visual.
That is, until Link soon ceased his efforts, standing still and turning his head towards her. Broken out of her daze, the princess did her best to veil the fact that she'd been ogling him so. She tried to hide her embarrassment as Link walked over to her, staring at her with confusion.
In truth, Link himself had needed to put a bit more effort into not diverting his own gaze towards her throughout his session. The peaceful, serene image of something as simple as her sitting against that thick trunk was a sight for sore eyes, and would surely break him out of his hardened concentration should he allow himself to take it in. It was also a contrast to how nervous she could often be, and Link wished to see this more relaxed side of the aquatic beauty more often.
But sadly, that seemed to vanish as soon as he addressed her. She now resembled a child caught trying to sneak in a bite of a meal before it was served. He couldn't help but still find it adorable, though.
"H-have you finished already?" Mipha stuttered.
Link shook his head. "A few more rounds and I'm done." Mipha nodded, and Link began turning around to resume.
But then an idea popped into his head. One that would not only serve as a reprieve between his rounds, but also hopefully bring his friend back to good spirits for longer.
So, instead of walking away, he went to pick up two of the retractable wooden staffs he'd brought with him. He then went back over to her and held out his hand.
"Care to spar for a round?" he asked. His subtle voice let out a trace of nervousness in the question, not used to being the initiator of such social activities, even with just one other individual.
He wasn't too surprised to see her reaction. She didn't look like she knew what to do, though Link still didn't fully understand why. Sure, he himself was nervous, but he largely credited that to the notion of sparring with his love interest. Still, he pushed that down and kept his hand extended.
"I would think I don't stand a chance against you," Mipha said, genuinely humble.
"Hmph," Link let out a dry chuckle and smirk. "Try me."
Mipha found herself taken aback a bit. While it would of course be all in good fun, she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of the master swordsman, let alone her romantic desire. But something in how lightheartedly Link made the offer prevented her from turning it down. Instead, ignoring the pounding in her heart, Mipha took his hand, feeling its gentle yet firm grip as she was pulled up. She grabbed the second staff and followed the boy to where he'd been practicing before.
Both had sparred with others previously, so they knew the standards and precautions involved. And so, Link lowered himself slightly into a battle stance and raised his staff, and watched as Mipha slowly did the same following him. He then tilted his head, allowing her to make the first move.
After a slightly delayed response to the gesture, Mipha obliged. She shoved the end of her staff at his chest, trying to keep from hurting him but maybe going too light as a result. Link veered to the side easily to dodge it, before swinging his own staff at her feet, causing her to jump back. The hero had a mischievous glint in his cerulean eyes, inching closer to her as she awkwardly paced around him. Appearing somehow encouraged by this look of his, she took another jab at him, this time swinging diagonally in a noticeably stronger arc. Link backflipped out of the way, but still felt the weapon lightly graze his knees. He then took the opportunity to go in for a counterattack, which Mipha then blocked. Another attempt, another block.
In that moment, the two seemed to finally click, and engaged in their duel more assertively. Mipha began leaping and flipping around as her opponent gradually made his advances trickier, sharpening her focus and beginning to think a few steps ahead. And Link, in a turn of the tables, now found himself unable to resist staring at the Zora's lovely and alluring movements, just as she had at his earlier. The way she moved, her blowing sash highlighting her appearance, how she spun her weapon expertly, fins flowing and lithe frame weaving its way around his efforts. But most disarming was the confident and even slightly cocky smile he noticed her now sporting, appearing to finally be having fun with this contest, just as he'd hoped for.
It was distracting enough to keep him from dodging a hit to the gut with the tail end of Mipha's staff. As he reeled back, she then launched herself up to bring her feet onto his shoulders, before kicking them off to knock him onto his back.
Link was stunned by the bold move, along with the agility and surprising strength required for it. She even topped it off with a rather prideful look and pose, a rare thing to see from her that brought forth yet another layer of the attraction he felt for the princess.
The Hylian simply matched her smile with his own and uttered, "No more going easy."
Link then launched himself back up and, in a sneaky maneuver, hooked his staff around hers. He tried to yank it out of her hands, but she ended up dragged along with it. As a result, while the two were able to avoid a hard collision, they nonetheless now found their bodies touching. Mipha's shoulder was tucked against Link's chest, the side of her waist against the front of his.
The friends' eyes met each other, inches apart. They tried to steady their breathing as the minimal air between them went thick. Mipha had to suppress a light groan upon being reminded just how tight and firm Link's chest was, and Link could feel Mipha's smooth, slender thigh brushing up against his own. It went unbeknownst to either of them how badly the other wanted to close what little distance was left, wrapping each other up in physical declarations of intimacy. It was as if time itself had frozen.
Nonetheless, they merely remained in this state for a few more seconds, until Link was finally able to recover enough sense to release his hook. Mipha could then take a few steps back, feeling herself flush with heat despite being in a fairly cool location, while Link's usually steady hands trembled as they grasped his weapon.
The princess coughed awkwardly, her familiar shyness now returning. She brought her hands together tightly before uttering, "Thank … thank you for that. I certainly … um, enjoyed myself."
The Hylian took another second to further gather himself, before nodding his head quickly.
It was fun, indeed. Regardless of the pain in his heart that he'd just gotten as close to her as he believed he could ever get, it was worth it to enlighten the Zora and bring out that looser side to her, similarly to what she'd been doing for him since their reunion.
And yet, despite all that, they still held themselves back in one crucial regard.
The memory of that moment returned to Link in his dreams, one of his favorites with Mipha. In the few minutes required to relive the entire experience, he was granted sweet escape from the memories of his present terrors.
But that escape only ended up cruelly ripped away from him when the time came to reenter the world of the conscious. His eyes slowly began to peel back open, though not yet able to make out anything clear. He couldn't recall the exact last thing that had happened to him, but the dull throbbing in the side of his head told him it was nothing pleasant.
As his senses returned to him, Link could feel an unwavering grip around his arms and legs. He tried to move himself, but found his body unable to budge. His mouth was extremely dry, and swallowing was rather difficult.
It was then that he remembered his situation as of late, and groaned in dread, the sound muffled by cloth.
However, as he finally regained himself fully, Link saw that he was no longer bound the same way as before. Rather, he was now tied along some sort of metallic frame around his height. It was fairly simple structure, metal about four inches wide forming a large rectangular shape. The frame had been chained down to the ground, holding it securely in place. And standing in the middle of it was Link, his wrists tied crossed above his head with the rope knotted tightly at the top. His ankles were also tied separately to the sides of the frame, keeping them several feet apart. The symbol-sporting cloth that had been used to gag him was also now back over his mouth as opposed to running through it. Slightly more tolerable, but not enough to matter to him.
"Oh good, you're awake," a familiar voice entered his ears.
Link turned to his left, and moaned when he saw that it was Jora who had spoken, accompanied by Ohram. Both had their arms crossed and stared at him with much displeasure. Link pulled at his bonds in response, but they were unsurprisingly secure, and the frame hardly budged in his efforts.
Looking around, the Hylian found himself in a large, circular chamber. Mysterious markings were etched into nearly every inch of the large walls that barricaded the area. The sky was visible thanks to a red-tinted glass that made up the ceiling, which had been constructed in a peculiar fashion to not only resemble a giant, all-seeing eye, but to allow the full moon to shine through in a large, concentrated beam. And on that note, the full moon itself signaled that it was well into the night; torches had been set ablaze throughout the room to provide a more constant light source.
Link could also see many Yiga soldiers scrambling around in the background, both Footsoldiers and Blademasters, the latter of which gave away some special importance for whatever arrangement was happening before him. He could see some of the Yiga with small, unknown potions, while others held jars of a strange purple gas. Others still held a few needled syringes, their opaqueness concealing whatever was inside them, and a few more were grinding an array of herbs or spices into a wooden bowl. He also noticed that most of the Yiga were wearing some sort of dark red cloaks, keeping their already-masked faces even more hidden.
What unsettled the captive Hylian most, however was when his eyes caught the familiar statue of the pig-shaped incarnation of Ganon that had previously been in Ohram's quarters, bright red rupee eyes and all. He had previously thought it to be but a decoration for the dreaded leader of the Yiga, making Link wonder why it was now here. Whatever the reason, its mere presence was enough to unsettle him even further as its "eyes" consistently held onto him.
"Curious, I see," Jora said, turning Link's attention back to his captor. Link's positioning in the frame gave him a bend at the knees, allowing Jora to be slightly taller than him when full standing height. Nonetheless, Link stared up at her as defiantly as ever.
"You should feel honored, Chosen One. All of this," she spread her arms, "Is the result of so much time and planning. And it's all for you."
The ritual? Link surmised. It was easy to piece together that these delusional beings somehow planned to make him join by force. Not just by means of some threat or sadistic choice, but against his own conscious will. But how was that possible?
"You'll thank us for our generosity soon enough, boy," Ohram said flatly, seeing the confusion on their captive's face.
"Mmphrrmmnn phrrnnnm," Link grumbled, his snark even making it through the gag.
"Have something to say?" Jora asked. "Well, how about we give you the chance … your last words before succumbing to our will."
With that, the Yiga walked up to Link. The hero reeled his head back, but Jora ended up not hurting him, but rather pulling the Yiga's symbol down to his neck. The boy was very surprised, but wasted no time in spitting out the other fabric stuffed inside. He found he could barely even cough from just how barren and dry his mouth had been after all this time.
There was so much he could say to this female right now, finally having such freedom after going for days without it. However, after trying to recover some fraction of his voice, there was only one thing immediately on the noble hero's mind.
He just barely managed to hoarsely whisper out, "Where is Mipha?"
Jora and Ohram exchanged glances at that. Their expressions were unreadable behind their masks, but Link became worried seeing Jora's head fall.
If they've done anything else to her, I swear on Hylia I'll ...
Ohram responded before Link could finish the vengeful thought. "I'm afraid she ... proved too resilient for us." Link's face hardened. "She somehow managed to escape, and our guards had to resort to excessive force to re-contain her ... too excessive."
Link's form tensed up, his wrists twitching in their ropes. If Ohram was implying what Link thought he was ...
"She's gone, Link," Jora finished, sounding convincingly sullen. "She's dead."
This was largely a lie. Yes, the Zora had indeed somehow gotten free from her bonds and escaped her cell, many hours ago. However, rather than being able to stop her, three of their own were found dead at the exterior of the hideout, and the girl had completely disappeared. Nonetheless, they were determined to feed Link a much more hopeless outcome.
And feed it they did. Link felt like he could wither away to pieces right there. Words couldn't do justice to describe the pit of emptiness he'd fall into should such a thing truly transpire. His eyes welled up, his body trembling, hands twitching. He barely felt the drive to struggle. It couldn't be true … it just couldn't … then there would be nothing for him.
Or was there already nothing for him anyway? No path to true happiness?
"No …" he uttered, his voice raspy. "She's not dead …"
"Is that what you need to believe?" Ohram asked.
"I'm sorry, Link," Jora stated. "But I-"
"YOU'RE LYING-" Link's outburst was cut off by a fit of coughing.
Hylia, he just wanted the pain to end. Physical, mental, everything in between, just let it end!
Ohram just huffed as he observed his pitiful prisoner. He may not have completely bought their lie, but it was clear that the seeds of doubt had been sown nonetheless. And that was enough; they could now grow, with the right treatment and nourishment. Just the same as all the doubting thoughts they'd instilled in his mind during his stay, and however many more had taken root beforehand.
And now was the time for the nourishment. Jora raised her hand and pointed to Link, and other Yiga in the room took various action in response.
"There is a tale," Ohram suddenly started, "Of a time where the minions of the great Ganon attempted to resurrect him after he was slain by the supposed hero. But, fascinatingly, they attempted to do so through sprinkling on his ashes the blood of the hero himself."
As he spoke, some Yiga began opening the jars of mist and spreading it throughout the chamber. There was more than enough to enfold the room in a dark purple fog, one that also gave a tint to the moonbeams flowing in.
"What is this?" Link demanded.
"We found ourselves first wondering how such a thing could be accomplished," Ohram ignored him and continued. "But then a new, more testable question came about … what does this say about the blood of you, or of your history of chosen sword-bearers?"
Link's eyes bore a sickly combination of hatred and bewilderment, both at the words being spoken and the potion bottles being shaken. But the former was keeping his attention more, preventing him from seeing more Yiga pour a liquified form of the grounded herbs into their needle-clad vials, and taking them to Link.
"It is a stretch, but could it be that through your veins flows some quantity of the essence of the Great One himself?" Ohram said. "That these heroes throughout generations are the links between the light and the dark? The great bridge that binds other destinies together through his own?"
His essence? The great bridge? How far gone are these people?! Link thought through the lunacy of the conjecture. "That's impossible," he growled.
"Perhaps," Jora answered. "But if true, Link, then tonight we begin our turn with the 'hero'. We see if indeed there is that lifeblood of Ganon ready to finally become whole … and in doing so, shift the tide of not just this new rising Calamity, but perhaps Hyrule history itself."
Link went not a second before shouting, "You're all insa-augh!!"
A sharp pain in Link's upper hip cut him off, as a Yiga ended up jabbing it with one of the vials' needles. An attached pump was then pushed, forcing the liquid herbs inside. Link struggled and squirmed, but it only made the pain worse. He hissed through his teeth as his opposite hip was also injected just as roughly.
Once the contents were all emptied, the two Yiga backed away. And suddenly, Link felt like his own blood flow was accelerating. His heart was pumping, with him feeling both the liveliest and most numb he'd felt in weeks. As if his body recognized danger but couldn't figure out the source.
Nonetheless, the stoic looks on Jora and Ohram's faces motivated him to weakly cry out, "What was that?! What did you do?!" He thrashed himself in his ropes, but not only were they too tight to budge, but just the action alone was suddenly enough to make Link feel dizzy.
Two cloaked Yiga then dragged the Ganon statue closer to Link, its eyes now appearing to bear into his soul. More Yiga were gathering around in some sort of circular formation. His sights were turned away from them, however, when Jora harshly grabbed his head by the chin and forced his mouth open, long enough to pour a bottle of the mysterious potion into his mouth. She looked him straight in the eyes with fervor as she tightened her grip. Link tried to resist swallowing, but the current state of his body somehow caused it all to slide down his throat practically involuntarily.
When it was done, Jora then took the cloth hanging around his neck and gagged him with it yet again.
"Mmph!" Link cried. Jora still gripped his face and brought herself to his eye level. Behind them, the hooded Yiga were beginning some ominous, unintelligible chant, repeating several phrases over and over. All the while, the jittery sensation in Link's body was now accompanied by a blurring of his senses. The chamber was still able to be made out, but it was fuzzy. As were the chanting voices he heard. Worse yet, every sight and sound he could register was somehow feeling more unpleasant, as if the entire world was now trying to beat him down and make him succumb to the worst it had to offer. It was a building assault on his senses.
Jora forced Link's head forward, giving Link a full view of the gem eyes of the Ganon statue. Except now, they shone brighter from the red-and-violet-tinged beams of the moonlight shining directly onto them, through the ominous eye-shaped ceiling. It looked as if the statue was coming to life right before the boy.
"The full moon has risen, hero," Jora said. "And through the eyes of our god, it turns to blood. Look into it. Look, and let the darkness and malice within you emerge … and consume you."
Try as he might, Link couldn't go against her wishes, couldn't look away. He was unable to tell if his body was blatantly disobeying him, or if he simply wasn't even trying. Either way, he kept a continuous gaze towards the frightening orbs.
The fire within his body, the harshening of his senses, the sound of the chanting - which Jora and Ohram were now joining in on - and the image of this sinister beast, were overpowering Link's body and mind second by second. It all intensified; whether in reality or in his head was unclear. He didn't even register himself leaning forward as much as his bonds allowed, now drawn in to the stare of the statue like a hypnosis victim.
"Mmmmgh …… nnnnmmhh …… rrrrmmm ……"
And then, everything was spinning. His body was going into what resembled a seizure. He no longer had control of himself. All senses now mixed as one. What he once could hear he now could feel touching him; what he once could see was now audial. It was an onslaught unlike anything he could possibly describe. The world around him turned red, with his eyes now glowing that same color to match the statue's. His sight then split into two duplicates. Then those duplicates duplicated. And so on, and so on, until there was an uncountable amount in his vision, separated by some eerie black void.
And then, all he could register was his own piercing cry. "HMMMMMMMPH!!!"
And then he felt that cry transform into the roar of a demon. And then the infinite copies of visions disintegrated into the void.
And then nothing.
"On your right!"
Urbosa warned of a Yiga Blademaster about to deal a blow to one of her soldiers, who was successfully able to dodge him thanks to the alert. Two more Gerudos joined their comrade to take the large brute down.
Having each other's backs in such a manner was crucial to keeping up their charge into the Yiga Hideout.
It had taken many hours, but Urbosa and her army finally had a suitable, multi-faceted plan for their attack and rescue of their Hylian ally. The first phase of which was getting through the canyon filled with defenses, undoubtedly on extra alert with the escape of their Zora captive. Many Gerudos took to the upper heights of the landscape, perched on the sharp edges of the terrain. From there, they had waited patiently until the rest of the army was in position, before finally making their moves against the enemy's higher-up forces. Their stealthy approach gave them the upper hand, easing the struggle as their ground troops attacked. Having seen the Yiga's fighting techniques firsthand, Urbosa and Revali were a major help in constructing the best formations to deal with them en masse.
Urbosa herself was, unsurprisingly, at the front of the ground assault. Her skills were invaluable for taking out swaths of Yiga with less effort than most of her fellow Gerudos. One minute she managed to stun an attacker by blocking them with her Daybreaker, followed by a swift finishing move. The next, she had three soldiers lined up perfectly for a massive swath of her Scimitar that slashed all three across the stomach, just before needing to slide down to avoid an incoming attack from behind by a Blademaster. Wanting to deal with this opponent swiftly, she summoned a burst of lightning onto the Yiga with the snap of her fingers, which took him down along with several other nearby Footsoldiers.
Revali, meanwhile, was suitably assisting those higher up, utilizing his famed combination of expert flight maneuvers and archery mastery to excellent effect. He had the greatest view of the battle as he soared above it, seeking out any weak spots in their advances that required his aid and quick to react accordingly. He could even use his specialized bow to knock down a Yiga soldier in one area while on the path to another, making him one of the army's most efficient members. At one point, Revali allowed himself to freefall from his position in the sky, so that he could fire multiple arrows towards Yiga getting the drop on some unlucky Gerudo soldiers. He landed on top of one once the rest were taken care of, and then took off again to allow the ground soldiers to keep up their own fight.
They were making progress, slowly but steadily. Currently, the army had gotten halfway through the canyon, all while successfully ensuring that they had the ground behind them covered, so as to avoid being newly trapped between hordes of foes. Their experience, skill, planning, and drive were enough to overcome the odds and get them ever closer to saving their hero.
And maybe even bringing down the Yiga as a whole in the process.
An environment began to form in Link's vision, surrounding him in dark pinks and purples. He could feel himself lying on a bitterly cold ground, hard as rock. As his eyes fully recovered and he scanned the area, he found that the whole terrain was like that: stone and rock making up an elaborate cave, colored in that same palette and pattern. The ground, walls, ceiling, and even stalactites and stalagmites glowed and throbbed, pulsing like blood through the structures' "veins".
Link couldn't make out any sensation of the air around him. It wasn't humid, dry, cold ... it felt as though none filled the cave at all, and yet Link could still breathe. Even stranger, and possibly just a figment of his imagination, the cave walls and floor were beginning to slightly move and swirl around in a just-noticeable fluid motion, as if the cave had been forming right in front of him.
He didn't recognize this place. He couldn't even remember how he got here. But it was sending continuous chills down his neck, and adding on to the weariness and disorientation he was feeling.
'You have nothing.'
Voices could suddenly be heard … or something that barely resembled voices. It was faint, coming through in a loud, distorted series of unison whispers, untraceable to any one location.
Getting up felt like a fight in itself. Link brought a hand to his head as he got to one knee, the other hand grasping a leg, trying to regain some semblance of strength.
As he lay half-risen, the voices returned again. 'No one cares for you.'
"Wh-who … who said that?" Link asked in an exhausted, bitter tone.
'Give in …' the voices only responded.
Give in to what?
The dazed Hylian stumbled his way further along the cave, pressing his hands against the nearest wall for support. His head was held low, his breathing deep, as just raising that few feet felt the same as transporting from the ground to a five-mile-high mountain, with all the effects that such a change in elevation would provide.
He then felt the wall he was touching move, some wet texture shifting through his fingers as a squelching sound could be heard. He pulled his hands away quickly, only to see them now having some slimy substance on them, a swirl of the same colors that coated the cave itself. It was only then that Link realized that this same substance was crawling along the cave's whole interior, like a layer of paint in motion.
Link gasped and stumbled backwards, having to keep himself from falling back down. He could hear and feel more gooey squelching at his feet with each step back he took. Deeply unnerved, he shook his hands frantically to dislodge the substance, with most of it thankfully coming off.
'It's all around you.'
'It calls to you.'
As the voice made more remarks, Link's head shot around in all directions. He clumsily reached down for his sword, drawing it from the sheath and tensing up to prepare to fight.
'That's not your friend. We are. Your only friend.'
"Who are you?" Link uttered weakly, trying to ignore the words. Despite them coming from a complete stranger, he couldn't help but feel struck by them somehow. Like their opinion was the only thing that mattered to him now. "Sh-show yourself-"
Link's feeble demands were cut off when something caught the corner of his eye below him.
His face then burst into utter shock and horror when he saw his shadow begin to move!
It was stretching out, taking on some indeterminable shape, but moving freely regardless. Link took several steps back, and the shadow mirrored him accordingly while simultaneously acting on its own accord. Link's chest heaved in and out, with him feeling close to panicking at the freakish occurrence.
But then, as if that wasn't enough, the shadow soon, seven feet away, began rising upward. Not on the ground, but into the three-dimensional space of the cave. Link's heart raced as he observed it mold itself into the form of a being like him … very much like him, actually. Equal height, equal shape and outline. The difference being that it was just a single, uniformly black entity.
That is, until it began to slowly take on distinguished colors. It began sprouting white hair that matched the style and thickness of his own. Its black skin transitioned into a sickly dark grey, along with the texture of a Hylian's and the same Hylian ears Link had.
But the most disturbing part was when clothing came to dissolve onto it … clothing that was the exact same as Link's Champion wear, except shades of black and grey instead of the noble blues and whites he sported.
It was something out of a fever dream, but what he saw was unmistakable; from Link's shadow, a dark, twisted version of himself had grown.
And then, after moments of lingering, it opened its eyes. Its glowing, bright red eyes.
Link's current unsavory journey looked a bit more peaceful from the outside.
While he experienced the twisted sights within the plane of his mind, Jora, Ohram and the still-chanting Yiga around them watched his eyes remain locked onto those of their hog statue. His stare was blank, but unwavering, eyelids not even blinking, telling the ritual's initiators that their plans were going accordingly.
This was confirmed even further when the physical changes to their hopeful new recruit began. The hairs on his head were now displaying silver slivers amidst the sea of gold, and his skin was growing a tiny bit darker with every passing minute. He was falling, succumbing to the darkness within himself. Darkness that he'd repressed, unknowing that releasing it would serve a far greater good, a necessary evil.
Jora sighed at the sight, still regretting that this well-intentioned young man forced himself to be put through this. But it was too late for him. Their soldier would awaken soon.
Their only true fear was the news that an invasion had broken out at the front of their hideout. It was apparently the work of the Gerudo people, led by the chief herself. Sightings had even been reported of a Rito in the fight, which Jora was quick to realize was another one of their Champions.
They clearly knew of the Yiga's possession of their precious hero. Jora believed that their escaped Zora prisoner had somehow made her way to the desert town and told them everything … little did she know that it was, in fact, the deductions of Princess Zelda that blew their cover. Regardless, the situation had become far more urgent. And she could see behind her father's stoic posture that he too was concerned.
But they couldn't quicken their pace. Everything had to be just right.
She just hoped that, judging by the changes already noticeable in their captive, they had enough time.
We're almost in! Urbosa thought.
The battle had grown fiercer the closer the invading army got to their destination. The Yiga soldiers were upping their aggressiveness, throwing more caution to the wind in their attacks. This made it easier to beat each one due to the added carelessness, but also meant that they had managed to take out more of the Gerudos at a quickened pace. And needless to say, Urbosa's Fury no longer just applied to her specialized ability; she felt her rage awakened with every death on her side she was unfortunate enough to witness.
But they persevered through all of it, finally reaching the entrance to the hideout. The new issue, however, lay with the Yiga's wise decision to put their heaviest concentration of units there. As effective as the Gerudo army had been in picking off their numbers, these troops guarding the way inside had gone untouched.
This didn't faze Urbosa, as she made her charge, her sisters following behind her. Many Yiga appeared from multiple directions, but were bashed aside where surrounding Gerudos could deal with them. Urbosa kicked one leg out to knock back a Footsoldier on her left, while slicing her scimitar through the neck of one on her right, followed by a sweep of her shield to send one in front of her off his feet before finishing him off.
Unfortunately for her, the Yiga by this point had realized that the chief was their biggest combat threat. Which meant that as the fight continued, she was receiving more and more of their comparative focus, causing her to be worn down quicker than usual. It was for this reason that she ended up surrounded by three Blademasters, their Windcleavers pointed directly at her. Even she had to admit that these guys were tough to take down one-on-one, let alone a trio of them. One of them parried with her for a bit, until he managed to get an opening on her shoulder. It wasn't too severe, but it was enough for him to then knock her beloved scimitar away. She had just used her Fury, rendering her with few options as Footsoldiers joined in from all sides, while one of the Blademasters prepared to attack.
That was when Revali soared above the fray. But he was not alone. On his back was a figure light enough to not weigh him down, gripping tightly onto a long, silver trident. As the Rito circled around, his passenger got her weapon ready, eyes locked on to the Blademaster about to strike Urbosa. Revali then swooped down lower, before the figure leapt off and descended to the ground.
The Blademaster's efforts were halted when the sharp trident was suddenly jammed through his neck, its speed from above giving it enough power to finish him off. The wielder of the weapon then flipped herself over him as she dislodged the trident, before landing beside Urbosa amidst the horde of enemies.
The Yiga were surprised to see the assailant be none other than the Zora who had slipped out of their reach.
When Mipha came to after passing out in the Hideout, she found herself in Gerudo Town, with her saviors turning out to be the scouts sent by Urbosa. They had brought her back to the town just in the nick of time before her condition became too serious, bathing her in the crisp, cool aqueducts and providing her with the treatment, food, and water she so desperately needed.
When she was filled in on everything, however, Mipha immediately sought to take action, insisting on joining in the rescue efforts. The passion and determination in her eyes appeared almost alien on the princess many knew as rather timid and unsure of herself. But it was clear that not only was her drive to save their remaining captured Champion as high as theirs, but whatever she'd been put through in that hellhole had brought out this headstrong side to her that she was not going to let go to waste. She pushed to take part, and made clear that nothing they did would stop her. She even asserted herself into the planning of the attack, bringing forth her knowledge of the hideout's ins and outs from her time there and making the picture much clearer for the Gerudos. Many watched her take the charge and saw the capable future queen she'd been born to one day become.
Mipha was more than ready to face whatever more she needed to save her hero. Whatever it took. She spun her trident around in an act of intimidation, her fiery eyes daring these Yiga to come forth and face her wrath.
With the enemy's attention now turned to her, Mipha provided the new path for Urbosa to once again gain an upper hand. The two Champions exchanged looks of relief for each other, before getting to work on their surrounding foes. They worked considerably well together, Urbosa's fluid and heavy style complementing Mipha's more rapid and precise style.
Keeping together and not letting up, it wouldn't be long until they were inside the villainous lair.
Fear not, my love, Mipha thought. We're coming.
She just hoped they weren't too late.
The Legend of Zelda franchise, the image used, and all characters and settings portrayed (except named Yiga members), all belong to Nintendo.
Originally uploaded on May 10, 2020.
And so the finale has begun! As has the built-up ritual to convert Link into a mindless slave for the Yiga. And yes, the duplicate from his shadow and the transformation he's undergoing are both what you think it is. In general, this is certainly one of the most out-there things I've come up with yet. As such, it was fun to imagine the strangeness and bring it to life, and there's still more to come in the next chapter. Also, you might think that the setup we saw for Link here was the last kind of bondage he'd face ... but there's one more …
Plus, the big battle of the Gerudo army to break their way in, leading to finally seeing Mipha fully recovered and in action! She may have gotten little time here, but she'll get more!
Anyway, thank you again for reading! I'm especially curious what people think of this one.
Link's gag speech translated:
"Mmphrrmmnn phrrnnnm," - "I'm sure I'll be flattered,"
Category Story / Bondage
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 641px
File Size 102.1 kB
Comments