The Legend of Ilia

~Chapter 24~ Sealed and Healed

"Stop!" I shrieked. Instantly, I regretted that as the diseased Sages turned their attention to me.

Birds! Birds! Attack them! Please... I thought crazily. What was the point? The Sages must have been wrong. I'm powerless.

Then, the most wonderful thing happened. I heard a song that Link once played back in Ordon Village, a song that summoned the hawk, echo in the distance. About three dozen hawks flew overhead, and swooped down, attacking the demonic Sages. More birds, smaller ones, appeared in the chamber as well.

Attack them. Lead them onto the pillars, I instructed the flocks of numerous birds telepathically. And so the five Sages -- Saria, Nabooru, Darunia, Impa, and Rauru -- all started getting viciously pecked by the birds that swooped down.

Suddenly, everything happened in slow motion. The birds pecked and tore at Impa, who had been holding Link in a headlock. She made one final, fatal move by quickly dragging the silver sword across Link's throat and dropping the blade. It clattered to the ground.

While Impa was led hastily away by the birds to her designated pillar, time stopped for me altogether. I was deafened, though the battle still raged as thousands of sets of wings attacked the Sages. I was temporarily angry at myself for not moving quick enough as Link hit the ground. I bolted over

His golden, bloodstained armor made much racket as he fell. Tears poured out of my eyes, like an endless waterfall, all spilling onto the warrior's chest while I wept.

Once the Sages were back in their pillars, the pillars rose back into the sky and the Sages disappeared as light illuminated from the columns. Everyone else rushed over.

Zelda cradled her prince's head; I buried my head in my hands, my elbows resting heavily on my knees. More tears demanded to fall from my eyes.

But when I looked up, Zelda's eyes were closed, as if in prayer. Link's wound started to glow, and then it magically sewed itself together. He was... Healed?!

The Triforce mark on Zelda's and his hand illuminated brightly. I wiped my eyes. "W-What? How?"

Zelda pointed to the glowing Triforce. "It can grant any wish..."

Link's eyes fluttered open. "Ilia... Zelda... Everybody..."

Zelda hushed him, and helped the warrior up.

"Did we...win?" he asked, wincing.

Zelda nodded.

"It's over," I laughed. "It's finally over."

"It is," Link agreed. "What will...you do now?"

I smiled. "A little bird told me that Hyrule Castle might need someone to take care of the royal stables."

The End