Favorable side

by Gladys Garcia

  However, anger wasn't the only thing Link was experiencing as he continued to keep his eyes closed, lost within his own emotions as he pictured all he had gone through,

  not even noticing the fire he had created. His fury was quickly growing into something even more intense, something that could not just exist temporarily anymore. For

  the first time, the hero was realizing exactly why he wanted the queen and her foolish people to suffer so much. It was more than just what they had done to him, how

  they had hurt him and ruined him. It was so much stronger than that, stronger than even his unquenchable anger and frustration towards the entire situation, and

  everyone who had caused it.

  It was hatred.

  As rage continued to swirl throughout the hero, hatred naturally followed it, crashing upon him in heavy waves. It only made sense, considering the fact that he had been

  shown so much contempt lately, that he feel that same malice in return. All at once, Link felt animosity towards nearly everything and everyone that had ever done him

  wrong. He hated the people of Castle Town for fearing him and his powers when they had no reason to. He hated his own inability to even come close to honing his

  uncontrollable magic. He hated the guards that had chased him all over Hyrule, burning his home to the ground and forcing him to flee from his own village. He hated the

  hand of fate that had forced such powers upon him, thereby destroying what his life had once been. But most of all, he hated Zelda for rejecting him, for emotionally

  crippling him, for using him, and for every single other way she had betrayed him and lied to him. And his hatred for her was the strongest of all by far.

  Unlike the fire, Link could actually feel this hatred chilling him, and though he still didn't open his eyes, he could tell that ice was freely spiraling around his hands once more.

  And yet, for once he didn't care; he wanted the ice to flow out of him, he wanted the fire to burn around him. They both made him feel stronger than he had felt in a long

  time, like he could use them to destroy anyone who had hurt him. Regardless of the fire, which was still just as large as it had been before, wisps of snow and ice curled

  around the hero's hands as he held them up a bit, the wintry mix growing stronger in tandem with his growing enmity and contempt.

  "That's right, Link!" Verona called out with a wide, conniving grin, watching with excitement as the hero's powers were flowing freely from him, just as she had wanted.

  "Let it all out! Let yourself feel all of those emotions! You are in control! You are powerful! You can do anything!"

  Upon hearing this encouragement, Link smirked a little, knowing that every word Verona was saying was true. He was in control, he was powerful, and with magic like his,

  he certainly could do anything. Despite all of the emotional and physical abuse he had gone through, he had remained resilient. He still had his resolve and his

  determination intact, and even though he had been bruised, he had not been broken. Nothing could break him, not rejection, nor grief, nor anxiety, nor fear. He was more

  than just the mere hero that destiny had forced him to be. He was powerful. He was wise. He was courageous. He was unbreakable.

  The hero's almost dark smile widened as a strong wind began to circle around him, not changing the fire or the ice as it sped up to cyclone levels, creating a heavy gale

  throughout the entire room, The Queen of Shadows gripped her black cape so that it wouldn't wildly blow about as she watched with enthusiasm as Link slowly began to

  rise off the ground, propelled upwards by the windstorm he was creating. Flames continued to whip around him, combining with the winds of the hurricane as they spread

  out around the hero. At the same time, he willingly flung his arms out, allowing powerful streams of bitter cold ice to fly out from his hands and crash to the ground

  several feet below him in dramatic bursts. Verona's cold smile slowly faded into a look of genuine awe upon seeing this immense display, and even she had to admit that

  she was impressed by the great deal of power that was radiating from Link in full force. She had seen elemental magic in action before, but never like this. Even the often

  devastating forces of nature themselves could hardly compare to the maelstrom of destruction and violence that the hero was creating, one that certainly had the

  capacity to easily level an entire city, something that gave the Queen of Shadows a sudden, sinister idea.

  After several unabridged minutes of simply letting his powers go in any way he pleased, Link soon found himself calming down a bit as he came off the high of unleashing

  so much magic while he came to the ground once more, finally opening his eyes. It admittedly felt good finally letting his powers lose instead of bottling them up inside,

  constantly fearing that he would cause pain and destruction if he used them. But now, he was no longer near the few people he still cared about hurting, and everyone he

  did want to hurt would feel his wrath, hatred, and superiority soon enough. He no longer had to conceal or suppress them, or even view them as a hindrance. They were

  a strength, an asset, something that could be controlled instead of feared. And after feeling the catharsis of letting them all go in such a way, the hero couldn't wait to

  learn to command them in any way he pleased.

  "Very well done, Link…" Verona said with absolute sincerity as she stepped forward, giving him a slow congratulatory applause. "That was quite an impressive display… I've

  never seen such a show of raw, untapped power before. It was truly incredible."

  "Thanks," Link said with a small smile and a nod. "To be honest, that actually felt kind of… good, like a weight was lifted off my shoulders."

  "You'll find it even more enjoyable once you completely hone them," the Queen of Shadows said, her tone pleasant and polite. "I can see so much potential in you, Link…

  And it's a potential that will only grow with time. I am certain that, with your powers, you will do great things indeed…"

  The hero couldn't really hide his somewhat bashful smile, glad to have someone finally believe in him. Though he had his doubts before, it was clear that Verona did in fact

  want to help him. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all. "So… what do you think?" he asked with hope in his tone. "Have you figured out how my powers work?"

  "I believe I have…" Verona said smoothly, stepping closer to him. "It stands to reason that they feed off of your strongest emotions, and by applying those emotions in

  certain ways, you can find control. The most obvious conclusion I've come to concerning fire is that it comes about when you are angry. Blind frustration causes it to spiral

  out of control, but tranquil fury… that is the key to reigning it in."

  "Ok…" Link said with a bit of a frown, not really sure how he was going to keep his anger under control enough to keep fire under control as well. "What about the other

  two?"

  "Well, what were you feeling while you conjured ice?" the Queen of Shadows asked, only having directly felt his anger and seen his confidence.

  The hero hesitated for a moment, remembering the sheer contempt for nearly everything that had flooded him during that moment. "Hatred," he said coldly, with little

  remorse in his tone.

  "Towards what?" Verona asked, suppressing a satisfied grin.

  "Towards everything really," Link admitted, glaring down at the ground. "The guards, the people, especially Zelda…" he said, nearly growling with fury upon simply saying

  her name.

  "Then use that hatred," the Queen of Shadows encouraged. "Let its coldness fill you so that you can create coldness of your own. Hatred is a powerful emotion, and while

  many will tell you it is a wicked one, I don't see it as such. I see it as an emotion of justice, one that is even stronger and greater than love
. Love is weak and faltering.

  Hatred is mighty and enduring. It can sustain you when love can't. Feel it, use it. It will do you well."

  The hero nodded tentatively at this, not really liking the sound of what Verona had just told him. And yet, in a strange way, it made sense. After all, his love for Zelda and

  her kingdom had only led him to misery and ruin. Perhaps it was time for him to give into something as self-serving as hatred, to focus on his own wants and needs

  instead of the needs of those who had never cared for him in the first place.

  "Now for wind," Verona continued. "It is a unique element, one that is often flighty and inconsistent. But I theorize, that in your case, it is created by feelings of confidence

  and self-adoration. When you believe in yourself, when you believe what you are capable of, when you believe yourself to be above those who condemned you, that is

  when you are in control…"

  "Right," Link said, taking in a deep breath. He had never really considered himself to be very egotistic before; after all, he had largely attributed his work in saving Hyrule to

  Midna or other various factors. And yet, now such blatant narcissism felt natural. He deserved to think highly of himself after all he had been through. He had allowed

  others to take credit for his hard work and struggles long enough. "So what now?"

  "Now…" the Queen of Shadows said with a daring smile, holding her hands behind her back as she came up with a plan that would suit her need perfectly. "We can truly

  begin…"

  "Keep your stance steady," Verona instructed Link, watching him carefully as she taught him all of the different facets of fire. "And your eyes open. Fire is drawn from the

  breath, so make sure to breathe deeply." She nodded with satisfaction as the hero did everything physically as he was supposed to, standing still and firm as he held his

  hands out in front of him, his palms up in anticipation of the flames that would hopefully form over them. "Now, I want you to focus all of your anger on one target. Think

  of the one thing that enrages you the most, and let that anger burn inside of you until it reveals itself on the outside."

  Link did as she said, centering his focus, as well as his anger, on the sole person that had struck such fury inside him in the first place: Zelda. However, he did not lash out

  in rage upon thinking of her as he might have been inclined to. Instead, he kept it under control, feeling a burst of passionate heat coursing throughout him, one that felt all

  the more satisfying as a tongue of even fire sparked above his hands. For once, it had come incredibly easily, and instead of growing wild and dangerous, it remained

  restricted and composed.

  "Excellent," the Queen of Shadows said with a smile. "Now to put it into action." With a simple snap of her fingers, Verona made a shadow beast appear only a few feet

  away from Link, who quickly spun around to face the creature, his free hand moving to the hilt of his sword on instinct. "Wait," the Queen of Shadows called to the hero

  before he could draw his blade. "Don't kill it with your sword. Kill it with your fire."

  Link moved his hand away from his sword upon hearing this, frowning a bit as he watched the shadow beast prepare to attack. He wasn't really used to fighting without a

  blade, but he knew that he would have to learn, especially considering the fact that he would still have his powers even if his sword was somehow out of reach.

  The hero took in another deep breath as he and the shadow beast began to circle each other slowly, the burning flame still flickering above his palm as steadily as ever.

  Link let his anger swirl within him as he glared at the shadow beast, focusing his frustration and rage upon the creature as the fire began to grow. And then, just as the

  shadow beast leapt into action, so too did the hero. With a strong shout, he rushed at the creature, precisely flinging the ball of flame at it. The shadow beast screeched in

  pain as the flames began to consume its dark body, but Link was far from finished yet. Adrenaline continued to warm him in an exciting way as bursts of orange fire

  surrounded both of his hands, and without wasting a single second, he allowed continuous streams of fire to pour forth from them. The hero smirked darkly as the

  shadow beast continued to suffer, and, much to his delight, the Queen of Shadows gave him more of them to practice on as the first one finally burned to death.

  Three more shadow beasts appeared surrounding Link, who took no time to even let them gather their bearings before he was upon them. With flames still circling around

  his hands, he turned a wide, quick circle, sending out a thin, yet dangerous stream of fire towards all three of the monsters, igniting them almost instantly. For a moment,

  Link paused to watch as the shadow beasts burned in the fires he had created, a brief burst of anxiety filling him as he remembered accidently burning Midna in the woods.

  Indeed, fire had the capacity to cause incredible destruction and devastation, but the hero was quick to remind himself that he no longer had any reason to fear it. After

  all, he was finally starting to gain control over it, and with such control, he could do incredible feats.

  "Keep going!" Verona encouraged, conjuring up a small force of various types of Twilit monsters this time, from shadow beasts to dark keese and everything in between.

  Fire seamlessly burst from the hero's hands as he leapt into action, feeling more full of energy than he had in a long time. Tirelessly, he launched his flames upon the

  monsters, watching with fervor as they steadily burned under his power, letting out agonized cries all the while. But Link simply ignored them, as well as the flames filling

  the room, which would not harm him so long as they were his own. The Queen of Shadows used her own magic to shield herself from the fire lining the entire room and

  simply grinned triumphantly as the hero stood amidst the inferno he had made as each shadow creature fell in succession to his might. Link couldn't help but let out a

  small, almost cruel laugh at the violent sight around him himself, knowing that somehow, the feeling of destroying those weaker than him was oddly liberating and

  euphoric.

  Verona only needed to hear that dark laugh to know that her manipulation was working perfectly.

  The bitter chill that came along with using his ice powers didn't feel as cold to Link anymore as he allowed a slow stream of ice to flow out of his hands, accumulating

  evenly on the ground below him. Verona had instructed that he cover the entire floor with a solid sheet of ice, and so, utilizing the deep hatred he felt towards the Hylian

  queen, the hero was at last able to tap into his wintry abilities whenever he desired. Unlike the jagged spires or twisted frost he used to create on accident, this ice was

  even and firm, and in almost no time at all, the entirety of the stone floor was completely blanketed in it.

  Upon completing this task, Link turned to Verona, who merely smiled and nodded in approval. However, as he began to take a step forwards, he accidently slid a little bit

  upon the slippery ice-covered ground. And though the hero was prepared to use a quick burst of fire to melt the ice all in one fell swoop, another, much more entertaining

  idea came to him instead.

  The Queen of Shadows raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she watched Link hold his hands out widely behind him, not understanding what he was doing as he smirked

  daringly, a mischievous glint in his silver eyes. The hero, however, focused as he grinned, remembering what Verona had told him about his wind powers. And, as he

  internally bolstered his confidence, steady, directed gusts of wind flew from his hands, instantly propelling him forward over the ice. It took a little doing and a few nearfalls,

  but after a moment or two, Link gathered his bearings completely and soon he was gliding across the
ice with both ease and speed. He was able to control his path

  by redirecting the winds he was creating as he let out a small laugh of enjoyment, scarcely remembering the last time he actually had sheer, rejuvenating fun like this.

  Verona couldn't help but chuckle a bit herself as she watched Link continue to speed across the icy floor, experimenting further with his ice powers all the while. As he

  continued to use one hand to create wind to keep him going, he lifted his other hand up, easily creating a sharp ice spire within his hand. While still sliding along, the hero

  threw the icicle as hard as he could, smirking with satisfaction as it shattered roughly upon colliding with the wall on the far side of the room.

  "Are you enjoying yourself?" the Queen of Shadows asked with a knowing grin as the hero skated past her and the raised platform she was standing upon.

  "Yeah!" Link called back to her with a laugh, spinning around so he was gliding backwards to face her. The almost childlike smile on his face was undeniable as he tossed his

  free hand up, letting loose a burst of ice that exploded into countless snowflakes on his command. They fell down slowly and beautifully in accordance to the artificial wind,

  and the hero couldn't help but take pride in them, wistfully wishing that Midna was there to see just how much he had progressed.

  "So are you quite finished?" Verona asked, her tone not that impatient, though she did somewhat think that Link was merely wasting time with such games.

  "Not even close," the hero said, still smiling as he cut the wind off so that he could slide to the gradual stop before the Queen of Shadows. "Don't you want to try?"

  "Oh, I couldn't possibly," Verona said with a half-smile, shaking her head. "I hardly think such a wild activity is very dignified."

  "Who cares if it's dignified?" Link asked, knowing that was a rather poor excuse, one that, in a way, sounded like something Zelda would say. "It's fun!"

  "Link, I don't think I should-" the Queen of Shadows began to say, however, before she could finish, she gasped in surprise as a strong gust of wind pushed her forward

  from behind. The hero slid backwards and stifled a laugh as Verona stumbled forward onto the ice, her usual grace and elegance broken as she nearly slipped and fell to