Chapter 19

Clip the Wings

Midna's strength was dropping rapidly as they kept moving up the mountain. The supplies were running low and food was harder to find since the mountain now contained one or two trees every mile they climbed. Either Midna or Vaati had to open the Underworld door but what are the chances of escaping with the medallion without losing someone? It was already decided that Ruduk and Midna would stay behind and guard the five medallions they had now and lookout for troops since everyone was a symbol of the rebels. They reached the top of the peak after five days of climbing and sent word to Zaira that they would return to the rebel village in a few days with the final medallion.

"Exactly where are we supposed to take these coins?" Ruduk asked as he looked at each of them in front of the small campfire Bryce built for Midna.

"Well… Cole never told me but my best guess is the Temple of Time since it's the heart of Hyrule and its rumored to contain the real triforce." Zelda replied as she handed him a small plate of meat. Bryce looked at her and grinned as he rubbed a stone against the blade of his sword.

"Maybe we should open the gates after Midna finishes her meal." Link suggested as he gave Bryce a cold look.

"No I'll do it now before I pass out into forever sleep." Midna replied as she sat her plate aside and slowly got up.

"You know… I could open up the door too you know." Vaati told her.

"Like hell I would let you do my job. Knowing you, you'll open a door to another dimension." Midna cracked her hands and rubbed them together as she muttered a few words; the ground shook and Midna raised her hands as black smoke surrounded them and pushed back to reveal a dark glowing double door with golden handles. Vaati caught Midna and gently laid her down against a rock.

"You guys go, I'll take care of her." Ruduk said as he pressed a hot cloth against Midna's forehead. Bryce handed Link and Vaati a sword. "Once we passed through that barrier, magic won't work anymore so we need to stick together. Zelda you stay in the middle because whatever happens you need to be the one that finishes this." Link looked over at Zelda and grabbed her hand. "Hyrule needs you, Zelda. You're Hyrule's last spark of hope."

The world was dark except for the few candles that slowly moved in the grey fog without flickering out. Around them cries of owls and howls of wolves made Zelda shiver as it reminded her of the dreadful beasts that tired killing them in the arena. She walked behind Link who volunteered to take lead and carried a small torch that was hardly visible with the massive fog growing as they kept moving forward. They reached a small pond where bodies of the dead piled on the bottom cried out for help as they were unable to move. In the trees, heads whispered their names mocking them, toying with their brains. Zelda kept her eyes forward and held Bryce's hand with every bit of strength she had. Her arrow bag rustled behind her and a crow screamed as it took flight swooping to them just before his body was sliced in half by Vaati's sword.

"Sorry, thought he was going to attack." Vaati whispered. The others shrugged it off and continued walking until they reached a large area overlooking a dark glowing triforce, inside stood the shadow medallion. Vaati took off first beating everyone as his hand was merely inches from touching the coin.

"VAATI DON'T TOUCH IT!" Zelda screamed. The ground shook and Vaati grabbed the coin only to have it vanish in his hand.

"What?"

"Are you trying to steal my prized possession, boy?"

Vaati jumped back and black smoke appeared as a young man sat in a red velvet chair twirling the medallion on string around his fingers. His hair was long and white as it reached the floor. On his head sat a large black top hat that had a veil of black fabric travel down the back and collide with his messy hair. His eyes were pure green and face so pale it could almost match his hair. He wore a black tux and matching black shoes. His laugh echoed throughout the area surrounding them as small black dogs appeared and growled at the intruders. He sat upright in the chair and Vaati took a few steps back.

"…Who are you?" Vaati asked.

"The King of this dreadful place, call me Malladus. I can appear as however I want but this form suits me better don't you think, Zelda?"

"How do you know-"

"The Goddesses talk about you all the time saying you're the last hope of Hyrule and be prepared to have a few guests in my world to retrieve the only thing that can restore Hyrule."

"Well we really need that so if you don't mind…" Vaati tried reaching for the coin only to have his hand slapped by the king.

"I'll give it to you if we agree to make a deal. If not, then my dogs will have you for dinner and Lilith will take over and kill everyone. It's your decision, heroes." Malladus cooed.

"Fine what do you want?" Zelda asked.

"Zelda!"

Malladus smirked and a jar appeared in his hands and tossed it to her. "I want your soul in exchange for this coin."

"Why a soul?" Zelda asked.

"Zelda don't you even think about it!" Link shouted.

"Any hero of Hyrule is special to the Goddesses, their soul is pure unlike this damned place. We need some light in here don't you think?" Malladus said as he tipped his head back and sighed.

"I'll do it." Vaati said stepping forward towards the king. He looked down at him and smirked. "Foolish kid, I asked for the lady's not yours."

"I'm a hero too, more blood is on my hands than any of us because of the choices I made but hear me out, I am a rebel and a sworn protector of Hyrule just like Zelda and I'm willing to hand my soul over if you give us the coin." Malladus pondered for a moment as he looked over at the others, their faces pale with fear at Vaati who stood there helplessly. "Why keep it? I have nothing left, no one to love, and nowhere to go after all of this is over."

"You have us, Vaati-"

"Oh sure, yeah I'll be a lame prince of a certain area of Hyrule, big whoop. I never wanted any of this to happen. After I was picked, I planned on killing myself in that arena, hell I almost succeed until you two showed up and kept me here." Vaati spat. "Take it, I don't care anymore I want to be empty inside, just like I should've been when I was put here."

Malladus spun the jar on his knee and only grinned. "Fair choice you made, Vaati. I'll accept your soul for this stupid coin." He tossed the coin at Vaati's feet and opened the jar. "I felt your soul presence the moment you stepped in here… you're different from them aren't you? You belong here Vaati."

"I don't belong anywhere-"

"Oh but you know the full truth. Born as the devil to your family because of your skin and hair color and the ability to conduct magic without a wand and unlimited magic power, yes… I can see all the suffering you went through. I can even see the suffering of losing something you started to love dearly." Vaati flinched and Malladus laughed as he hopped off his throne. "Now… this might hurt… a lot." He stuck his hand in Vaati's chest and pulled out a dark blue orb with a small circle of white in the middle and stuffed it into the jar, closing the lid tightly.

"I can't feel any pain anymore…" Vaati shrugged at him.

"Oh believe me… you won't feel anything anymore. Now go, I hate being intrude as it is and you already took my most precious item, what more could you want?"

"My mom's prophecy." Bryce replied. Malladus spun his body around and glared at him. "I do not hand out that kind of information to mortals like you."

"He's right… let's just go." Zelda said tugging on Bryce's sleeve. "No I want to know. You can have this." He unbuttoned his shirt and took off his necklace and handed it to him."

"What is this?" Malladus asked looking at the green crystal with interest.

"You can watch people with it. All you have to do is say their name and any mirror or something with a reflection can be used to see what they're doing. It's too dangerous for me to carry around since anyone who has the other half can curse you but if you're already dead it can't harm you."

"Who has the other half?"

"My mother."

Malladus grinned and hung the necklace around his neck before he snapped his fingers and a long parchment appeared. "This sheet is your mother's life records, it records everything she ever did and what she will do in the future. However, everyone has a certain fate-"

"Does she die?" Bryce asked. Malladus gave him a cold look before looking through the parchment.
"Greed and lust cannot withstand good but good can't destroy greed until all ties mend. Evil will rise until the broken is repaired and the fates have spoken."

"What the hell does that mean?" Bryce asked.

"You asked what it was not if I can decipher it, I'll give you a hint though since I like you guys. Even if you kill her, evil will keep coming back until what's broken is repaired." Malladus snapped his fingers once again and the three of them stood once again on Death Mountain where Ruduk and Midna sat fast asleep. The clouds above them shimmered as the sun started to rise in the east and the air was chilly making Zelda shiver. The door was gone and was left was Lilith's prophecy written on a piece of paper in its place.

"She must be destroyed." Lilith said to her newest partner and assistance, a younger man with black eyes and wild colored hair. Lilith moved her chess piece and took down her assistance's pawn.

"I agree, but we must wait until the right time."

"When the rebels feel they have all the battle in their hands, then we shall kill this Princess of Hope they cherish so much." Lilith sighed as she sat behind her desk. He made his move, slowly moving towards Lilith's queen piece. She refused to play with kings, how can she when no kings were around to rule and she was Queen. Queens are stronger, more powerful and wiser when making last minute decisions like cursing Zora's Domain, damn them though for defeating her there.

"But how? If you kill her it will only bring up a stronger uprising, we'll lose the supporters we gained in Hyrule."

"Who said we were going to kill her? You don't have to kill the bird to get the feather just cut the wings so it can't fly." Lilith moved her Queen which killed his bishop.

"So what's your plan then?"

"I promised them only two will survive the games and I'm keeping that promise." He scratched his head and moved his Queen. Ah… a Queen verses Queen.

"You know Dante… I treat life like a chess game, did you know that?"

"No I didn't, my Queen."

"Life is but a game, but you must make sacrifices in order to win the game, that means killing the ones you love or cherish." She knocked his knight out and smiled. "I've killed many people, Dante. In order for me to succeeded people in my way must die. I killed my husband, my father, mother, sister and lover to get the Gerudo crown. Now though I must kill someone important to keep this crown."

"Clip the wings of the bird."

"Destroy the rebels top symbol, that dreadful Princess. She shows them too much hope."

"What can you do? If you give them someone to look up to, brings them hope; then they'll rebel and use that person as a symbol, a sign of hope."

"Sadly though I destroy hope and anyone who tries to show it." Dante was down to only three pieces left; another bishop, knight and his Queen. "Give them hope and they'll rebel but give them war and they'll run in fear. Hyrule has been known to run from battles because of their no kill unless forced to act." She took out his knight in one swift move but he took out her bishop. Dante was getting nervous; Lilith was powerful and beyond scary but was she really planning on hurting Zelda in order to keep Hyrule under her control? They saw the rebel posters a few days ago splashing the Princess wearing her parade outfit or ones with her wearing her arena uniform holding her bow ready to shoot. All of them said the same lines: It's dangerous to go alone. What did that even mean? Was it dangerous to travel alone? Fight alone? Kill alone? Lilith was getting madder every day when the posters appeared and then banners draped over the palace gates showing the triforce and saying: Hope. It was then that Lilith started killing servants and toying with her past assistances until she exploded and snapped their necks.

"Would you like to head down for dinner?" Dante asked trying to distract her.

"Let's finish this game first. I feel like this might be a close match." A close match… Zelda verses Lilith… Lilith knocked his Queen over and the piece landed on the floor and shattered to pieces. Lilith smiled and rested her chin on her hands as she looked at him.

"Clip the wings and you'll destroy the life the bird has yet to live."

"My Queen…-"

"Sacrifices, Dante. Only two must live and I have already decided which two." She got up from her chair and walked over towards the door.

"Which two are you going to keep alive?" She turned around and looked at him, a smile on her face. "If I tell you then it'll be like telling you which piece on the chess board I'm moving next. Everyone is my pawn, Dante and I'm the Queen. I move them and if they die then so be it, but I'm in control and only the Queen wins the game in the end." She walked out leaving him staring at the shattered Queen on the floor. The question was… which Queen was going to get her wings clipped?