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I felt confident as we left the Spirit Train, feeling secure in my Phantom armor, reading to protect and fight alongside Link. I made sure to stand in front of him as we stood face to face with Cole.
“You’ve gone far enough, Cole.” I said firmly. “This is where it ends.”
“You again…” Cole sighed. “The Demon King’s return is nigh, you know.”
“Yet, here you are, making a nuisance of yourselves!”
“You insolent little fools!” He cried, finally turning to face us, his expression a contorted grimace. “It’s time you received the punishment you deserve!”
With that, the Demon Train shook as it began to move again. Link and I turned in dismay to see the Spirit Train, with Anjean and Byrne, being left in the dust. My heart sank a little, seeing that, but I tightened my fist and turned back to our enemy.
“Your Majesty!” Cole cried. “Your resurrection is complete!”
Above him floated my body, pink energy arcing around it.
“Please use your power to destroy these two!”
My—Its—eyes opened, revealing angry red sclera and yellow irises, not my own light blue. I gasped in horror as the body was animated, raising its arms and dropping down next to Cole.
“This is it, Link!”
He nodded solemnly.
Cole cackled and appeared before us, the train length away from Malladus.
Link motioned to me, and we stepped forward, only to flinch as Cole waved his hand a strange, translucent blue mice appeared, circling us.
“Help, Link!” I gasped, dread flooding me.
These magical mice sparked with energy, like yellow chus. What would happen if they touched me? I imagine my metal armour would conduct their energy, and I could only hope I wouldn’t feel it… As for the fact that they were mice…Cole knew I had an irrational fear of those. He was trying to target me…and I hated the fact that it was working. I was suddenly paralyzed with fear, as they drew closer and closer. Move, Zelda! Come on! Link needs you—
I sighed in relief as Link took them out with a few swings of the Lokomo sword.
“Thank you for saving me!” I exclaimed as we continued forward.
Link didn’t respond, eyes flicking between Malladus at the end of the train, and Cole, floated close by, laughing.
They was a crack of magic, and the last dregs of my confidence were washed away by panic as I saw more mice had appeared.
Frozen again, I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself and get moving again.
They snapped open as I heard a quick grunt, and I turned a little to see Link, eyes pinched in a wince, stumble back from the mouse nearest to him.
“Link!” I cried as a circling mouse came up behind him, and he flinched back again in pain, blue light flicking up his leg like miniature lightning.
I cursed my fear again for rendering me immobile, trying to lift a trembling arm to my friend…
My eyes caught flashes of blue light as the mice closed their circle and reached me.
I cried out as lightning blue energy zapped along my metal armor. I could feel it, pins and needles all over body, and then… A different feeling, little tugs at my back, then my arms…A floating feeling, which I felt daily outside of my body…
Link stared at me in horror, and was about to ask what was wrong, when I felt my arm lift.
As I watched, dazed, my arm swung out, my huge sword flying towards my friend, as he rolled to the side, out of the way, eyes wide with fear.
I heard Cole cackle, right behind me, and I finally realized what was happening, as I found I could turn to look behind me, the Phantom armor no longer in my control. It was in his.
“You have to get away, Link!” I cried, as Cole swung my sword again.
Phantoms were one of the strongest things we’d had to fight, Link couldn’t do this now, with Cole and Malladus standing near!
“Get away, Link!” I shouted again, slamming a useless fist against the shell that now imprisoned me.
He blocked the blow, then retaliated, but Cole swung my shield before me.
The look of hatred on Link’s face had me shrinking back. I’d never been on the receiving end of his sword before.
Link suddenly retreated, then yanked out…his boomerang?
I opened my mouth to shout again, but stopped as he threw the weapon, and it swung past me. I started to turn, confused, then gasped the floating feeling ceased, dropping me back into control of the Phantom armor.
Shaking, I lowered my sword, and turned back to face Malladus as Link came up beside me, flashing a quick smile.
My relief disappeared as Cole released more blue mice.
Now that we knew what they did… Link redoubled his efforts to keep them away from me. I was even more afraid of them. I couldn’t let them touch me, I couldn’t let Cole take over again! I couldn’t allow myself to be used to hurt my friend…
I took a deep breath, fixed my eyes on Malladus, summoned my courage, and began to walk forward, slow and steady.
With a horrible screeching, hair raising sound, Malladus reared back and launched a stream of pink energy towards us. I threw my shield in front of Link, grunting at the impact, but holding firm. Link could protect me from the mice, which appeared to be Cole’s only form of attack, while I could draw Malladus’s fire and get closer to it. We can do this, I told myself sternly.
Every time a mouse got close, I took a deep breath, reminding myself that Link had it handled. And he did, every time, for a few moments, as we made creeping progress toward the Demon King.
Until I felt a horrible prickling, out of nowhere. Cole cackled in my ear, taking control once again. With nothing better to do, I turned to watch Link.
He didn’t look good, his clothes singed. He was leaning on his sword, looking up in despair as my sword raised itself.
“You have to get away, Link!” I screamed. “Please!”
He staggered to his feet, retreating a few hard-won paces as he pulled out his boomerang once again.
He can do it. He can do it, I encouraged myself. He’ll free you. He’ll keep fight—
A scream tore my ghostly throat as I felt my sword arm swing towards him. The same panic I felt was in his eyes as he hastily threw the boomerang, then retreated again.
I waited for control to return, but the boomerang came back into view as he caught it, then raised his arm to throw again, as Cole cackled and swung my sword. Again, Link threw too fast, stepping back frantically, empty-handed until the weapon returned to his hand. He hesitated, about to try again, when I felt in my heart that it was too late.
I knew the speed and strength of the Phantoms, and I knew—
My sword swung, and it hit.
I screamed again, louder than ever, despair like a rock chained to my ankle, dragging me down.
There was blood on my sword.
Link’s blood, on my sword.
On my sword, because Cole was in control, because I was afraid.
I hadn’t been brave enough, strong enough, to stop him, to resist his magic, to evade his mice, to move…
And now my friend lay on the ground, flung back from my blow, red staining green…
All I could do was watch, and scream.