Fighting Chances - Chapter 14: Return (Part 3)

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 It all happened so quickly, even my mind doesn’t have the capability to process it.
 A dark portal begins forming below Ganon’s feet. A bright light shines from above. I suddenly realize what’s happening to him- they’re casting him off into hell.
 “Curse you- all of you!” Ganon roars as he begins to sink into the fiery pit.
 “No one is to blame for this,” I explain. “It was merely the laws of the world, the balance, working its way. It was fate that you would finally be sealed and good would win!” I shout at him.
 “That is where you are wrong. I have had my vengeance, and now I pay for it gladly!” His words confuse me to silence, but bring a terrible feeling to my chest. “You said, yourself, Ghirahim… it’s the balance. The cycle of the triforce may end now, but the cycle of good and evil will never!”
 Earth encloses the hole, sealing the King of Evil away forever. A little wave of light came from the point where it sealed, spreading out across the land and fixing everything he had destroyed. The trees turn green again, the meadow is covered in a grass, the sun shines bright across the silver clouds drifting in the blue sky.
 I close my eyes and smile as a warm feeling envelopes me. I laugh as the wind blows across my skin and through my hair. For a second, the world looks gold. I’m not sure if it’s an illusion or magic, but once it stills I understand.
 My hands have returned to their natural human color. The hair that hangs in my face is brown. Even my clothes have gone back to their normal, worn state. I stretch my arms out in the sun and laugh, my old red cape fluttering in the wind. The curse is broken. We did it.
 “Fire,” I whisper as I snap back into reality. “Fire!?” I call, realizing she’s nowhere to be seen. It’s then that I see her on the other side of the field, lying down.
 It’s then that the horrible feeling I had returns.
 I dart to her side, stumbling more than once. I’m not used to not having such extraordinary balance yet…
 I kneel down by her side, carefully flipping her still body over. Her torso is soaked in blood. Her chest falls up down heavily, and she’s trembling terribly. Her eyes meet mine as a little smile curves on her fair, tear streaked face.
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 I see Ghir standing over me. He’s himself again. The curse has somehow been broken!
 I smile brightly, he smiles back.
 “I love you,” he whispers.
 I can’t bring myself to say anything. I fight to stay awake, but his image slowly begins to darken. My life’s draining, but I continue to smile.
 I somehow know that it’s all going to be okay again.
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 “Fire,” I whisper. She doesn’t answer. Her body lays almost still as the blood pools on the ground around her. Her breathing is very short, and her heart beat is slipping away. “Fire…”
 I can do nothing but wrap my arms around her shoulders and lay my head over hers as I watch the life fade out of her. Tears begin streaming down my face. I’m crying- something I’ve longed to be able to do for a while.
 “It’s not over,” I say through my cracking voice. “There has to be something more.”
 A little chime answers me. I look up, wondering where it came from. It’s then that I notice the little glowing device lying beside Fire. Her… phone?
 I look at the outer screen. There’s an incoming call from… her father.
 My chest tightens as I flip it open and answer the call.
 “Anna?” he asks.
 “No, she… she can’t answer right now,” I tell him, keeping my voice as steady as possible.
 “Ghirahim? You sound different. Is everything alright?”
 “No, it’s not,” I try to reply, my voice getting closer and closer to cracking again.
 “Listen, I have something that can help you,” he tells me soothingly. “We’ve found it- the fairy dust. It was all there was left of the fountain. It’s very powerful, and just enough to heal you.”
 “That’s not a problem anymore,” I tell him. “It’s Anna.”
 He silent. I hold my breath.
 “Bring her here as quickly as possible. I’ll be home in just a few minutes.”
 “Hurry, please. There isn’t much time.”
 “Alright.”
 He hangs up.
 Fairy dust. It can save someone, as long as it is given to them just as they fall. Any later than that, and it’s too late. What if I can’t make it?
 I don’t have time to think about that, I decide. I pick Fire up in my arms, her body hanging limp.
 “Just hang on. I’m going to save you this time- I swear it.”
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 The boy carries the girl in his arms, running as fast as his legs will carry them.
 Her life’s weakening by the second.
 Just a mile away, a car flies down the winding back roads, rushing to get home. In the passenger seat is a bottle of dust wrapped carefully in cloth.
 The boy stops running, his breath short. Another look at the girl’s pale face wills him to continue, but it isn’t much longer before he has to stop again.
 Suddenly, it hits him. If she was able to keep some of her powers, the perhaps he could, also.
 Stopping again, he takes a breath and closes his eyes tightly, praying that his power will come through one last time.
 The car pulls into the drive, nearly skidding. The man grabs the jar in the seat beside him and gets out, slamming the door.
 The boy appears in the living room of the house as he opens his eyes. He’s done it! He teleported. They’ve made it.
 The door flies open as the man rushes in. He pauses only for a second when he sees his daughter in the boy’s arms, her shirt stained in blood.
 The boy sets her down on the floor, holding her cold hand as he lays his fingers on her neck.
 “Her pulse is gone!”
 The man unwraps the jar and open it, pouring the sand-like contents over her. It sparkles as it fades into her skin.
 Everything’s silent. She doesn’t breath. She doesn’t move.
 “We were too late…” her father tells him, skinning to his knees beside the girl.
 A horrible guilt washes over the boy. If only he had paid more attention in the battle…
 “I’m sorry…” he whispers, hanging his head. “I didn’t protect her. I failed her…”
 “You did everything you could,” her father says. “I blame you for none of this. This is… it was just fate, a divine plan. Why it ended this way, we’ll never know.”
 “But good is supposed to win,” Ghir tells him.
 “It did,” a voice whispers.
 Both of them look up at each other in shock. Neither of them had said it.
 Fire slowly opens her eyes, smiling.