PART XII: DOWNFALL
The trip to the Sky was a journey that tested The Zora, the stepping rocks that perpetually levitated and their slippery skin made it hard. Link and Fay went before, they could see The Moon, and its ghastly gaze, it was closer than ever. As they came to one of the islands, and stood there, a Rito Girl with red eyes and beak of yellow came, her hair like the sky at sunset.
"It has drawn close.. our prayers have had no effect."
A tear rolled down her cheek as she listened to this Rito. Link looking up at menacing Luna took his Claw Shot and fired it to another island hovering afar off and at higher elevation.
Fay turned and said,
"This is all my fault.."
Link attaching to his harness the chains, took Fay into his arms and said,
"All we can do my love is try to make right what we can.. that is what do now. I will be with you the whole way, we will find a way."
With those words he pressed the release, and the two of them were taken up into the air, the wind blowing Fay's long magenta hair as long strands, all that remained of her fairy appearance.
As they ascended and held on tight to the Claw Shot, pieces of the Moon began to fall down, smashing into sky islands and scattering them as if they were ships in a sea. Link felt the island they were lassoed to move and they were pulled with a swift jerk. Prince Sidon hard harpoon with chain that he swung on, he too was caste into the wind, holding on to the chain as his anchor is this realm that was the opposite of his home. One of the Zora's harpoons broke and they were tossed, they let out a squeak like a sea creature, Sidon seeing them fall cried out,
"Aquila! Nooooooo!"
Link turned to Fay,
"Hold on.."
He then let go, to which she shouted,
"Link! What are you doing?! Link!"
The Hero began to fall as chunks of the Cruel Moon, he saw the Zora who was crying out. Putting his head forward, and his arms to his sides, Link dove until he was upon Aquila. and he now was matching his descent.
"Your reserve Harpoon, get it now!"
Aquila grabbed at his back sack, a trident bent with horshoe shaped spikes and cord of thick rope like that of mariners.
"This is what we have to do, you see that island..."
The Zora looked,
"That is the last chance! We must hook on to it or perish!"
The two steadied their fall, and they saw the island, it was almost in reach, when a piece of the moon hit it and knocked it away. Link closed his eyes a moment and said,
"It is going to be alright.. Aquila.. take my hands."
The Hylian and Zora took each hands as they fell, when suddenly the rope of the harpoon was jerked and they were pulled upward just before hitting the top of trees. A Rito with great wings bore them up,
"Hold on!" shouted Link with a tone of elation.
They were brought to the island where Fay had just reached the top of, she went running to link and embracing him said,
"I was so worried! I could not catch you! All of this is my fault!"
Link kissed her forehead and said,
"It is alright my love, thanks to this One."
The Great Rito spoke,
"Seeing you risk yourself for a Zora, Hylian, I could not hesitate to save you both. After all, our people were once Zora.
they are thus kin to us."
Fay went over to the Great Bird Man and took his hand and showered it with kisses.
Withdrawing it he said,
"I will bear you two to the Moon to undo what has been done, and then bring your friends."
Sidon hugged Aquila, and then went to Link and said,
"You risked everything for one of us.. this day we are Fin Brothers forever."
Link and Sidon embraced as warriors do at shoulder.
At last Link and Fay were brought hence to The Moon, they landed upon it with the Great Rito, the ground was light and the dust was as sand only great, with mighty crators. The Great Rito letting them down said,
"I shall get your companions."
Link gave a nod, and Fay smiled. As the Great Rito took off, the two of them took their hands together, and came to one of crators, the deep blackness as an abyss.
"Down there I believe is what we seek Link, though I am afraid."
The Hero drew her into his arm and said,
"As long as we are together, we can face anything."
As they prepared to leap, a great tornado of dust grabbed them and they both were torn apart from each other, Link thrown to one side of crator and Fay to the other, when the whirlwind landed near Link and took the form of his likeness save for it was as gray as the Moondust, and its eyes golden as the Sun in the morn.
Link gagged and voided the dust, when the Dark Gray Elf drew near with a blade drawn and shield.
Link drew the Master Sword and his Hylian Shield which shimmered.
Fay got up, coughing and saw Link was on the other side facing some Look a Like. She began to run, to try and bound around the great circle of darkness.
Link holding his edge ready said,
"What are you?"
The Moondust One replied in a crackled speech,
"Downfall."
Link shook his head and rushed shouting,
"Ha-ret!"
He swung his mighty mirror blade, and Downfall blocked and returned a identical slash, making Link have to block, their blades held in lock up.
"Why must this happen?! All she wanted was what we all want! Why are you doing this?"
Downfall looking at him with eyes glowing hotter, even making The Hero feel heat.
"You think she is the reason I am here.."
Link broke off and thrusted, The Gray Elf doing a back flipp and landing near the edge of the Great Crator.
The Hero shouted,
"Har-ret!" as he swung fiercly, and Downfall caught the blade with his edge,
"How little you mortals understand.. there is no stopping The End.."
Fay was almost upon them when Downfall thrusted his blade into Link's arm, he cried out, "argh!"
Then in a swift motion he tossed The Hero into the Great Hole. Downfall dropping down into the abyss found Link caught in what appeared to be roots. They tightened around Link, who dropped his sword and shield, which landed upright, the tip of blade in moondust dune. Downfall landed there and looking up at Hero now held, said,
"Did you think.. your actions,, had no consequences,, Hero of Time?"
Link focused his blue eyes on Downfall.
"How do you know that was what I was called?"
Downfall chuckled, his mouth expelling more moondust,
"Your playing with time is well known among us.. and for that you have brought forth this end.."
The Hero of Time tried to break free of the roots,
"Then what of Fay? If she is free of blame, then let her be!"
Downfall shook his gray cap and said,
"Make no mistake.. her choice did speed this day.. she effectively turned this Moon into a Comet."
Above this great abyss Fay took a breath and decided to leap, she fell when she felt her shoulders grabbed by The Great Rito,
"My Lady.. patience is a virtue, let me help you down."
Sidon and Company landed with Ritos of their own all armed. Deep in the Belly of Doom, Downfall felt them and he called to the roots, which released Link to land on the dune, and they rose to surface as great worms that began attacking The Zora and Rito. Sidon threw his tident into one as she shouted, "For The Zora!"
Link drew The Master Sword from the dust, Downfall looking at it said,
"That thing is an abomination.. and the reason you and this world will fall.."
Downfall drew his dark mirror blade that matched The Master, the two crossed, and the fight began anew on the dune. Fay descended on this scene in the talons of The Great Rito, she saw what appeared to be a furnance. Landing she saw Link and the Copy fighting, she considered stepping in when she heard a sound. The whole Moon structure began to shake violently. She ran over to the strange engines and saw says and a lever, she tried to force is back, The Great Rito trying to offer aid.
Downfall looking over at them chuckled,
"As if anything in your power could suspend your downfall."
Link thrusted his blade, it passing thorugh Downfall as if sand. The tip protruded out of back as tooth. Downfall began slashing at The Hero of Time, who began to block with his shield, and tumbled down the dune. It was then that Downfall leapt in to air and turned as he fell, his back now facing when Link lay, gagging on moondust. Then those blue eyes grew great and large as spouting out of his mouth was blood. Downfall lay a top Link, as their bodies were linked by the instrument of time, Downfall said,
"Death is never without its poetry.."
With that he rose, his body passing through the crossgaurd and pommel of the Master Sword which now was dipped in The Hero, who began to shake from cold. Downfall turned as he now was solid once more. His golden eyes of flame looking down on the downfall of a Hero.
At this moment Fay realizing nothing she could do to reverse the crashing of this hollow moon went looking for Link when she at the dune saw Link below, his sword in his chest. She screamed,
"Link! Link!"
She slide down the slope of moondust down to him and placed her very thing arms around his head as blood trickled down his chin.
"My love! Why... why?! Why did I give up my powers! I could heal you!"
Sidon and company dropped from the cieling with their harpoon ropes and landed, another root burst through the wall and they threw their tridents at it, making it draw back. Sidon surfed the Moondust and leapt on the Root, and drawing his trident which was embedded in it, raised it up and said,
"By the power of the Sea I command you to fall!
With that he struck it and there great burst of water, it filled the root so that it became greater and great till suddenly it burst. Sidon landed, a smirk of satisfaction painting his face when he saw Fay shedding her own water and Link impaled. He made haste to them and said,
"No! How?!"
Downfall appeared behind them,
"Heroes fall.. one way or another.. at least he will retain his legend throughout the ages. well those who remember it."
Sidon turned and tossed his trident which passed through Downfall.
"All your rage.. all your moral authority.. all your magic.. cannot stop the invitable.. soon there will be nothing.. only oblivion."
Link's heart beat grew faint, Fay holding him tight and cradling him. The Master Sword began to glow as fire, and it began to pass through The Hero of Time, and through dust, until it hurled from the sky itself and came upon the Fountain in Kokiri Village. There it struck the Seed, that lay on a lily pad, and there was crack, and snapping sound. Vines with ivy sprang from it and grabbed the corners of the Fountain and bore it up as the crack grew, a bright pink light shining forth. Then the egg shaped pod bursted open and there was dust of light everyewhere and the sound of flapping wings. as a child rose up, eyes closed though painted magenta on the lids, and short hair of magenta. The lids stirred, and The Doom Moon suddenly began to slow its descent, it shook, and Downfall turned,
"The Child.."
Downfall headed over to controls of the Moon and tried to shift it forward a day, when the lever snapped off. He then decided to turn into a whirlwind and head to the surface, out the Great Hole. Sidon grabbing the Great Rito's talon took off in prusuit.
Fay and Link were there together as Link grew colder,
"Link.. please do not leave me.. everyone always leaves me."
The Hero reaching up to touch her face,
"My dear Fay.. these days with you have been greater than a lifetime alone. We always knew we had very little time.."
Fay stroked his chest and said,
"I know.. I had hoped.. sobs.. it would last."
Link kissed her wet cheek and said,
"That is the curse of us mortals.. loss.. and yet.. it makes every moment more precious, more glorious.. more treasured. This is something the gods can never understand. We love knowing that we will not last, and we will become heart broken."
Fay cried out,
"The pain is more than I can bear!"
Link wiped the flows of tears and said,
"You must live my love.. and remember.. remember those moments.. those precious sweet moments."
Fay grabbed him more tightly,
"I am never letting go."
Down below, at the Fountain in Kokiri Forest, there The Twister of Moondust took shape as Downfall in his gray cap. There the Satyr stood with his great axe and Moblins.
"I knew you would return to this place.. where is she?"
Downfall scoffed,
"This Great Fairy has ensnared you as well? She is no more a fairy, she has joined the Hylian kind, now step away and let me through."
The Sayr with his gilded hair and eyes said,
"Where have you taken her?!"
He swung his great axe which Downfall stopped with back of his hand.
"I see that I must dispense with your services.."
The Satyr looked at him,
"I do not serve you!"
Downfall smiled as his other hand formed into blade and dug it into the neck of The Satyr.
"All serve me! I am the Downfall of all!"
Seeing their Captain fall, the Moblins rushed with clubs all beating down Downfall, tunring him to dust that floated upward and then entered their mouths and ears, they began to choke, each of them falling down as they struggled to breath. At that moment Sidon arrived with The Rito and saw Downfall partially solid, much of him still as grains heading for hole into the Fountain. Sidon took his trident in hand, he stepped over the Moblins who were all lifeless now.
Inside Downfall reanimated into The Elf shape and saw the Babe floating above the waters. Its hands extended, he stepped over the half wall of the fount and waded in shallow water towards it, he hand forming into a sword.
"Hour grows late.. you halt what must befall.."
He took another step when he felt a stinging in his shoulder and he gasped, the points of a trident having made purchase. He phased, becoming the moondust and sinking beneath the water, the trident sinking deep below. Sidon taking his breather off, leapt into the waters as the Child Fairy remained stationary. Swimming below he looked for his trident, when something grabbed him and pulled him against a wall, a great tentacle of ashen color and mouth of Shark with eyes glowing yellow. Sidon kicked, trying to reach his trident, but was raised up into air and above the surface and thrown. The Mouth of Megaladoon rose up to swallow Fairy Baby when Sidon leapt into the air and grabbed the Child from the jaws of Doom. The Great beast sank back down beneath the shoals. The whole fountain began to shake, and above in sky The Moon began to fall once more. The Babe opened its eyes to look at Prince of the Zoras and began to cry, he took it adn said,
"How do we stop him?!"
The Baby mumbled and pointed when Downfall emerged from the waters, with a Zora shape, his skin dark drey and white and his eyes ever the same cauldrons of sunlight.
"Give me the child Prince!"
On the Moon that was hastening once more to the earth, Fay felt Link fading and she kissed his face more urgently,
"Do not leave me.. Link!"
Opening his eyes once more, he placed his hand on her cheek and said,
"Fay promise me.."
She kissed his wrist,
"Anything!"
The Hero of Time said,
"That you will live.."
Of all that he could ask of her then, the one thing she did not want.
"Promise me.."
Fay kissed his hand some more and said,
"I.. promise."
At that his grip on her cheek weakened and his hand fell which she caught, and held to her face.
"Link.,. Link!"
His eyes went still as he exhaled. Fay let out cry that shook the inside of the Moon.
Within the Fountain, Sidon battled Downfall new form and the two locked in blades.
"Give me the kiddie! Or you will die now!"
The Baby which was now crawling had hair that was now to shoulder length, as she began to rise on a knee her form matured. Sidon held back Downfall and said,
"I will make you pay for what you have done to my Fin Brother!"
They two wrestled in the shallows, their tridents clanging, and they fell in knee high water. Sidon beating at him with other end of the weapon.
"I will drown you!"
He took hold of Downfall, who tried to shift into his grain self, but it became ink in the water. Sidon bore his perfect pearl teeth and grabbed his throat.
"It seems you are not a god!"
The Maturing Fairy rose up as her form began to take the shape of a woman, ivy and leaves covering her body. She levitated over them and held out her fingers. Downfall felt a tug, his eyes turned orange, as his mouth opened wide,
"Aaah! No!"
The New Great Fairy floating above him raised him up in his half liquid and half solid form and began to turn his fingers him spinning into a tornado once more, this time he was pour up, and struck the Moon, knocking it upward and causing it to ascend, its menacing face replaced with a somber one.
Rito and Zora were abandoning it before it reached the statosphere, Fay carried Link out of the Crater, and she looked down at world that was so small, and kissed his cheek before leaping off. She fell with her beloved in her arms, The Great Rito came flying up and caught her and The Hero of Time, and bore them down a sky island. The Moon of Doom hurled back into space, inside it Downfall cried out,
"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"
At the Fountain Sidon took some steps in shallows, there The New Great Fairy.
"If you have need of healing.."
Sidon with somber face said,
"I am afraid you have not the power to heal this wound Great Fairy.."
With that he came to hole that lead out and said,
"Thank you."
The New Great Fairy nodded as she disappeared in a whirlpool down into the water.
Forty Weeks Later...
In Kakariko Village a shop of finest wares called The Fairy sat with pink and green curtains. Inside women of Hyrule and even those as far as from Gerudo Desert came to buy these elaborate dresses. One dress in the window had scales of gold which was being requested by many and another spun in a deep green. Sitting behind the counter with thread and needle was woman with long flowing magenta hair, thick eyelashes, glasses, and finger nails as pink as her eyes. A woman stepped in, she wore a great crown upon her head and a dress of white with pink, she came to counter.
"Hello, I hope its not too late for me to request a repair."
Fay turned to see the Blond haired lady.
"Of course not! Please what do you need?"
The Regal Woman said,
"I tore my dress as you can see and well.."
Fay looking at the seam that was rent asunder said,
"I can have it fixed in a moment, let me get some thread that matches."
Stepping outside with her dress mended, the Lady of Regal Airs said,
"Thank you so much! Today is the parade and I want to look my best."
Standing door's shadow Fay said,
"Say nothing about it Princess!"
The Woman said,
"Call me Zelda."
With that she waved and headed to the sight of great commotion, the streets full of people. Fay stepped out to see, which revealed a ripe belly. She rubbed it as she smiled and said as she looked to the sky,
"I have kept my promise my love.. soon our child will come into this world, run and play where we once spent those precious moments.. I will tell them everything. I will remember.."
She shed a tear and yet remained smiling.
With that she closed the door of shop as she entered.
THE END
I loved this fic so much, and this final chapter was the best. I'd love to read a sequel about Fay and Link's child.
