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A faint ticking of a clock could be heard as the hero stood across from the Goddess of Courage. The plane below their feet white with a dim glow and faint mist swirling around them. The skies around them were gray with cream coloured clouds, calm and serene scene. The face of the Goddess held regret though it was partially hidden by a mask of indifference. The warrior’s face held rage, grief and something deeper that was broken, shattered. Between the two beings a figure floated, laying on their back. Their short, thick golden hair slowly flowing along with a non-existent wind. Their blue tunic stained red at their chest, ruining the white design on the front. The wound wasn’t visible due to the vines of Gladiolus flowers that grew from their chest and gradually wrapped around the rest of their body. Their limbs were limp and their head hung back, eyes dull and glazed over with death.
“He’s finally free. Welcomed home.” The Goddess began, her melodic voice echoing in the void they stood in. “It’s just you and me now, standing alone. The world is ours.”
“No it isn’t.” The hero interrupts, his lengthy royal blue scarf whipping behind him as if affected by his anger.
“Go back to reality.” She orders, her voice harsher than it was merely a moment ago.
“This isn’t finished.” He snaps, taking a step towards both her and his fallen brother. His little brother…
“What?” She demands after a beat of silent shock, the glow at their feet in response to her mounting frustration.
“Even though the kid’s dead, I’m still seeing red.” He snarls. “I’m just a shell of his form that his sacrifice shed.”
The Goddess clenched her fists as sorrow filled her being. “He lived a good life and he gave it to you.”
The knight barked a laugh as a broken look entered his cobalt eyes. “Oh is that right? You know it’s not true, look at him showered in blood and flowers.” He barked. “Now look in my eyes, she still holds the power. After years and tears, confronting his fears, he’s dead on his record for the world to hear. And they’ll all think it was an accident, but Farore I know it was you inside him.”
“I saved him!” Farore cries. “I held him ‘til the moment he died!”
“You choked him out of his own goddess damned mind! You promised the world to him, a goddess damn lie!” He roared, eyes flashing as he continued his slow approach, unable to look at his fallen brother as he passed.
“What do you want from me?!”
“Oh, look outside yourself.” The hero snapped, and all was silent.
“I won’t help you take her down.” She states simply, tensing as she steps back.
“Fine.” He growled dismissively as he suddenly whirled around, his back to the goddess and his eyes reluctantly taking in the fallen child. “I’ll do it by myself.”
The goddess sucked in a breath and took a step towards her shattered soldier. “You don’t need it.” She tells him, a new sense of urgency in her tone.
“I Know that I need it.” He barked with a broken laugh, tears welling in his eyes, blurring his vision.
“She’s been silent for years, I know you can resist it.” She pleads as she took another step, the sound echoing around them.
“No!” He bellows, his arms flexing as he held back the urge to become violent. “Look in the mirror, you know we both fear her. We’re one in the same, we’re afraid to be near her. We utter the name with our spirits defeated. But you let me kill him, you’re worse than Hylia.”
“He told you to end it, his sacrifice was all for the best.” The Goddess in green stated, her voice shaking.
He glares at her over his shoulder, his usually impeccable hair a mess, giving his gaze a darker expression as his tears spilled over. “So I have you to blame for this pain in my chest?” He demands, barely choking back a sob.
“No!” She gasps out.
His left hand began to glow, strings of shimmingering gold and luminous green leaving the brand and threading around his hand, slowly forming a sword. “If you won’t go, I will.” He promised. “To avenge the lost soul she killed.”
Farore swallows and steps closer, fear beginning to join the numerous emotions within her being. “You’re filling your heart up with hate!”
It wasn’t meant to be this way. None of her champions were destined to die during this journey, none of them should have died. It was a last minute twist. The cutting of the thread of fate by Hylia, the Golden Goddess who had grown bored. And due to her boredom and arrogance, the youngest of heroes was lost to all.
She takes a shuddering breath before continuing her approach, following as he neared his fallen family once more, his tears falling and disappearing into the mist at their feet. “All the same.” She started quietly, the war hero muttering ‘No’ through his sobs. “As the child you left, face down on the ground.”
“Save it!” He yells as he spun around, standing by the child’s head with the holy sword pointed at her. “It’s time we made a statement. A pity this kingdom has ruined us, we could’ve fooled all of Hyrule, the nine of us. But Hylia made fools of us.” He spat as he trembled, his tears glistening on his cheeks.
“You’re lost…” She whispers in horror, falling to her knees as she loses another champion right before her eyes.
“One, two, three, four,” He counted, wisps of glows appearing behind him at each number, some brighter than others. “Is this what love is really for? Is this all we get for being yours? The kid behind me in blood and gore?” He demanded harshly, the glow of his brand brightening steadily, the mark on the body behind him gradually mimicking it. “Five, six, seven, eight.” Three more wisps appeared before him just as the ones before, except the eighth flickering above the fallen youth. As the warrior continued to speak, the wisps began to grow brighter with each word. “Years put to waste for all we hate. They’ll all know Hylia’s fate.” He promised before a manic grin appeared on his face.
“The show’s about to start. Don’t be late.” As the words resounded within the void, the brothers and the wisps vanished, leaving a trembling Goddess, choking on her tears.