The Distant Land
A/N: Yo my peeps! Triforcelord here, with my next story! This story is hopefully going to become the best one I have ever written, and will be remembered for years after I leave this site. If you can't tell, I have extremely high hopes for this story. But that doesn't mean that I want you guys to be soft in your reviews. I would rather you guys tell me how it is rather than let me keep writing badly. And by the way, I apologize for the extremely long introduction, I tried to keep it short but it kind of got away from me. Now, without further ado, let's get this show on the road!
The Distant Land Chapter 1: The Battle That Almost Ended It All
Long ago, before creation, there was nothing but darkness. The world was an empty void, with no life whatsoever. The world was truly a place of nothingness. Then, when it seemed that life on this world seemed nigh impossible, three golden goddesses descended from the heavens. These three goddesses brought life and light to the world that seemed to be lost, and by doing so, did more than even they thought would happen
Din, with her flaming limbs, cultivated the raw earth, and created the untamable and unfathomable seas. Nayru, with her vast wisdom, imposed the spirit of law and order upon the world. And Farore, with her vibrant spirit, created the beings who would uphold the law. This was the true beginning of life.
Their work being done, the three golden goddesses departed for the heavens, leaving a small portion of their power behind. This power was for mankind to use in emergencies, when creation itself was threatened.
The land where the golden goddesses had entered the mortal realm was dubbed the Sacred Realm by the tomes describing Creation, and only those who were pure of heart, and possessed certain other qualities, could open the pathway into the Sacred Realm, for the only ones worthy to behold the sacred grounds where the goddesses themselves had touched were those who were doing it not for themselves, but for the greater good.
Little did the goddesses know, however, what else they had created...
Many millennia after the creation of the world at the hands of the golden goddesses, a man sought to acquire the Triforce, the relic of the power the goddesses had left behind. But there was no emergency, and mankind was not on the brink of destruction, but all of that was about to change, and that very moment was approaching quickly.
This man, Ganondorf, was the king of the Gerudo, the nomadic tribe that hails from the desert. Ganondorf wished to acquire the Triforce not only to allow the Gerudo to become the supreme rulers of the world, as he had promised the nomadic tribe, but also to make himself immortal, assuring that he alone could rule the world forever.
In order to accomplish his goal, Ganondorf traveled to the castle of the kingdom Hyrule, the country to the east of the Gerudo desert. Under the pretense of making an alliance between Hyrule and the Gerudo, Ganondorf bided his time until the perfect chance arose.
However, he was implementing his plan even as he waited for his chance to strike. The Gerudo King had allowed the Princess Zelda to overhear him talking to one of his Gerudo about the Sacred Realm, and the young princess quickly grew suspicious of the desert nomad.
The Gerudo King's patience was finally rewarded in the form of a green-clad boy from the forest, who was coming to see Princess Zelda about the very same thing the desert nomad had been plotting. But the young boy, although innocent, was pure-hearted, and wished to protect the Sacred Realm.
The princess told him her suspicions, and the gullible and innocent young hero fell right into the desert thief's trap. The young hero collected the three gems needed to open the gate into the Sacred Realm, and opened it for the evil king. Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm, and, after slaughtering the guardians protecting it, stole the Triforce off of the pedestal above which it was floating. The evil king's plan had finally come to fruition.
However, what Ganondorf had not expected was for the Triforce to split into three when he touched it. Since the Gerudo King's heart was not balanced evenly between Power, Wisdom, and Courage, the Triforce could not hold its proper form, and Ganondorf could not obtain the complete Triforce. The whereabouts of the other two pieces were not known for a very long time, and eventually Ganondorf convinced himself that the other two had ceased to exist.
Ganondorf started his campaign immediately, and after he murdered the Hylian king, conquering the kingdom of Hyrule became simple. The princess had fled the night the gate to the Sacred Realm had been opened, and without a leader the entirety of the once-great Hyrule had fallen under the King of Evil's tyranny.
However, a mere seven years after the start of Ganondorf's campaign, the young hero arose once again to fight the Gerudo King. Bearing the Triforce of Courage and wielding the legendary Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, the hero struck out against the King of Evil. Traveling around all of Hyrule and the surrounding lands, the Hero of Time entered the most dangerous temples and awakened the Sages, who, when united, had the power to banish Ganondorf.
Link, with the aid of the Sages, stormed Ganondorf's castle, and climbed to the top with the aid of the Sages. In an epic battle that destroyed the entire fortress, the Hero of Time was victorious, and aided the Sages in sealing the King of Evil inside of a mirror, into a realm where shadows reigned supreme. It was believed that Ganondorf, the King of Evil and King of the Gerudo, was truly gone forever.
How very wrong they were.
Four thousand years later, the completely reformed Hyrule, changed in topography, politics, and layout, was suffering from an evil even greater than what had befallen it the last time. A blanket of Twilight was spreading across the land, turning the people into spirits, though not dead, and the creatures that inhabited these lands of gloam into little more than monsters. Once again, hope seemed to be extinguished for the once-great kingdom of Hyrule.
However, like every time in history when evil rears its ugly head, once again good stepped up to defeat evil. In the only province not covered in Twilight, Ordon, a young farm hand named Link was about to journey outside of his village for the first time of his life. He was to deliver a sword and a shield to the Royal Family of Hyrule as the village of Ordon's royal tribute. So Link set off for Hyrule Castle, not knowing about the Twilight that covered the land like a dark cloak.
Before leaving, the young Link had stopped to say goodbye to Ilia, a childhood friend, and while saying goodbye, Link and his friend was attacked by monsters. The monsters kidnapped his friend, and, while in pursuit of the monsters, Link stumbled across the Twilight. Link was dragged into the dusk-ridden land and was transformed into a Sacred Beast, for the power granted to him by the goddesses prevented him from becoming a spirit. Link was in possession of the Triforce of Courage.
While in the Twilight, Link met an imp named Midna, who set the hero free and agreed to help him on the condition that he help her gather some things. Midna helped Link get through the castle dungeon that he was in, and when Link and Midna reached the rooftops, they met Princess Zelda, the current ruler of Hyrule. Princess Zelda pressed upon Link the enormity of the Twilight problem, and how it had come about, and after leaving the Twilit castle, Link and Midna set off to combat the Twilight.
They pushed the dusky evil back in the individual provinces, first in Faron province, then in Eldin, and finally in Lanayru. While they were pushing the Twilight back, they were delving into deadly, ancient temples and collecting three items called the Fused Shadows. These items, when combined with the piece Midna wore on her head, granted the user almost infinite power. It was with these with which Link and Midna hoped to defeat Zant, the False King of Twilight, who was also the one who had covered the land in Twilight.
After the Hero of Twilight and Midna gathered the last Fused Shadow, they were confronted by Zant, the one who cast Midna into the light, nearly killing her, and forced Link into his Sacred Beast form, in which he remained, trapped. With Midna dying and himself stuck in the form of a wolf, Link sought out Princess Zelda, who gave Midna life in exchange for her own. Before she died, Zelda told Link of the Master Sword, the Sword of Evil's Bane, and how it would be able to purge evil from Link's body, thus breaking the curse placed upon Link.
After finding the Master Sword, which had been placed in a grove hidden deep inside of Faron Woods, the curse binding Link to his Sacred Beast form was broken, allowing the Hero and Heroine to continue their quest to save the world of not only Light, but Twilight as well. They made their way across the desert and through an ancient, undead-filled prison called the Arbiters Grounds. They were seeking the Twilight Mirror, the only known link between the world of Light and the world of Twilight. This mirror was the very same mirror through which Ganondorf had been banished through, four millennia ago.
Link and Midna had entered the Mirror Chamber only to find that the Twilight Mirror had been split into four. The Sages who had guarded the Mirror for the past four millennia then appeared, and explained that Zant had broken the Mirror into four, but, since he was not the true ruler of the Twili, he could not shatter the Reflector completely. The ancient Sages also explained that while Zant had played a major part in covering Hyrule with Twilight, the mastermind had been none other than Ganondorf, the former King of the Gerudo and King of Evil. Zant had been just a pawn in the grand scheme of things. The Sages directed the Hero and Heroine to the locations of the other Mirror Shards, and again Link and Midna traveled across Hyrule to search for dark artifacts.
Link and Midna journeyed around Hyrule, entering the most ancient and dangerous places scattered all around Hyrule and the surrounding lands, gathering the missing shards of the Mirror of Twilight. After they had every shard, the Mirror was complete and Link and Midna could travel though it into the Twilight, and finally confront Zant.
Link and Midna entered the Twilight and stormed the palace. Using the power of Sol, Link cut through the darkness with ease. After fighting their way through the palace, Link and Midna entered the throne room and challenged Zant. The battle completely destroyed the upper levels of the palace, and Midna finished Zant off by using the power of the Fused Shadows.
After killing Zant, and with the Fused Shadows in their possession, Link and Midna returned to Hyrule Castle to confront Ganondorf and defeat him once and for all, so the people of Hyrule need no longer suffer from his tyranny. They fought their way up to the throne room, and prepared to face the King of Evil.
And this is where our story begins…
Link and Midna were standing on Ganondorf's front doorstep, literally. Needless to say, they were a bit nervous.
"Well, this is it," said Midna, looking as though she was fighting back the urge to vomit, "The final battle."
"Yep," Link replied, his face as hard as a rock, though they were nothing compared to his eyes.
"If we beat him-" Midna stopped herself, "No, when we beat him, everything will be back to normal. Our two worlds will be saved."
"Yep," Link repeated, his face the same as it had been before.
Midna glared at him. "Aren't you going to say something other than "Yep"?" She asked, feeling some annoyance mixing in with her nervousness.
"…Yep."
Midna got the overwhelming urge to say something smart at Link, but then she saw something that made her less annoyed. The corners of Link's mouth were twitching. Suddenly it made sense.
"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Link," Midna said, her annoyance fading, "It actually worked." Indeed, as her annoyance was ebbing away, so too was her nervousness.
Link smiled a bit, than returned to seriousness, having thought of something that needed to be said, at the very least. "Midna," Link said, "I want you to promise me something."
Midna was taken by surprise at the sudden question, but she quickly recovered and said, "Sure, Link, but I have to know what it is before I can see if I can." Midna already had a vague idea of what Link was going to ask, and she didn't know if she could promise it.
"Promise me that you won't do anything rash." Link said, looking her straight in the eyes.
As they looked into each other's eyes, they both had a glimpse of what the other was feeling. Mirrored in each other's eyes were worry, determination, hope, and…affection? 'No, that can't be right.' They both thought, 'I must've imagined it.'
Midna knew Link wanted her to be safe, but she also knew that, sadly, she couldn't truthfully make that commitment for him that, not now, not ever. "I'm sorry, Link, but I can't promise that," Midna said, then she grinned, "I can't promise that until you can, because you're stuck with me until this curse is broken, got it?" She pretended to glare at him.
This, however, far from cheering Link up, caused him to grow serious. "And that moment, the one in which you will be free from your curse, may be coming very soon," he said grimly, "I'm going to make sure to break your curse, whether we beat it out of him, ask him, kill him, or all of the above." He turned to face the door through which the man who had caused so many people grief and suffering lay, waiting for them.
For reasons she didn't understand, these words made Midna feel hollow and empty inside, like she had just lost her best friend. Deciding not to dwell on it just yet, so as to not distract herself, Midna also turned to face the door, her nervousness back along with a slight feeling of uncertainty.
"Now," Link said, "Let's go put this murdering son of a bitch in the ground, right next to our old pal Zant." And with that, Link pushed open the door to the throne room, and they entered to confront the King of Evil.
When Link and Midna entered the throne room, the first thing they saw was Princess Zelda chained to a pillar next to the throne, looking lifeless and colorless.
They were about to run to her when they heard a low, deep chuckle coming from the direction of the throne. Turning to face the noise, Link saw Ganondorf, their sworn enemy and the mastermind behind covering Hyrule in Twilight, sitting on Zelda's throne, still chuckling.
He was wearing pitch-black armor with blades on the knuckles of each gauntlet, and a black cape emblazoned with the green designs Link knew were native to the Twili, which perplexed Link. As far as he knew, Ganondorf had used the Twili, Zant included, as pawns to do his bidding as he began his scheme to take over Hyrule.
'Maybe it's some new mass murderer's fashion trend,' Link thought, glaring daggers at the man who had taken everything he knew and loved away.
Midna was still staring at Zelda, a single tear making a path down her cheek. 'Oh, Zelda,' Midna thought sadly, 'How could I have let this happen to you?'
Ganondorf got up from the throne and started walking down the steps that led up to the throne, his iron-toed boots making a loud thud with every step. The sound of Ganondorf's iron-toed boots hitting the stairs seemed to snap Midna out of her trance. Wiping her face free of tears, she floated up so she was next to Link, and glared defiantly at Ganondorf.
When Ganondorf had reached the fifth step, about five feet away from where Link and Midna were standing, he stopped and looked at them. Link and Midna glared back. Link had his sword in his hands.
Suddenly Ganondorf's face broke into a wide smile. It was the kind of smile that said, "You know what, I'm in a pretty good mood, having just conquered a kingdom, so I'm going to toy with you before I kill you!"
"Come now!" Ganondorf said, still smiling, his deep, booming voice echoing in the vast throne room, "We aren't just going to stand here, glaring at each other, now are we? Aren't you going to rage at me, ask me why I've done what I've done, blame me for the death of millions, et cetera? You know what, I'm in a storytelling mood, so I think that I shall explain everything. But of course, where are my manners? Tos caras apparatus!" The last three words were said in a rich, smooth, deep, almost musical voice that sounded like it was spoken by a god. Out of nowhere, two chairs appeared behind Link and Midna.
Link and Midna were so surprised they forgot to glare at Ganondorf.
"Holy shit!" Link said, "How the hell did you do that?!"
Midna, however, was looking at Ganondorf shrewdly. 'So,' She thought, 'He can use magic.' This caused some new problems for them.
Ganondorf was responding to Link's question. "All will be explained in due time." He said, "Now sit, this is a long tale." He gestured to the chairs behind Link and Midna.
When Link and Midna didn't sit, Ganondorf said, "I said, SIT!" And the chairs scooted from behind Link and Midna, forcing them to sit down. They tried to get up, but found that they couldn't.
Link glared at Ganondorf. "Okay, you made us sit down," he said, "Now you can tell your damn story."
Midna was searching for weaknesses in the magic, but found that there were none. 'This guy's good," She thought, ceasing her struggling.
"It all begins four thousand years ago, when I was banished into the Twilight Mirror." Ganondorf began, "That damn Hero of Time and his little Sage friends sent me into the Twilight Realm…or so they thought. In reality, I was sent to an alternate world, one much different from both this realm and the one of Twilight. This place was a world where magicians were more common than swordsmen, although there were some who were both, including myself." Here, he paused to look at Link and Midna, as if expecting them to be nervous or putting their heads together to formulate a plan. Link and Midna, however, were looking at Ganondorf with hatred, loathing, and disgust.
Unfazed, Ganondorf continued. "When I got there, I was very weak. Nobody would believe that I was a king, and, penniless, it seemed that I would starve. However, a pair kind, gullible old fools took me in, and nurtured me back to health. After I was back at full strength, I killed the old fools and took their money."
He stopped, grinning at the shocked look on Link and Midna's faces. "That was a new low, even for you, Ganondorf," Link accused, disgusted that any human being could sink so low.
Ganondorf held up his hands. "I didn't say I wanted to kill them." He said, "I only killed them because they knew too much. I knew I was in unknown territory, and when in unknown territory, it is always safe to assume that it is enemy territory. It tends to keep you alive longer.
"After I killed the old ones and stole their money, I traveled around until I found the nearest village with a tavern. There, I found out that I was in the land of Elemoria, and that the capital was about four hundred miles northwest of where I was. I bought a horse, for the couple that I had killed had been very rich indeed, and traveled to the capital, where I requested an audience with the king. I was, of course, denied, and rather rudely I must say, having been seen as a peasant, and having no ties with the royalty of that land.
"I traveled around, and eventually found out about the massive amounts of magic in that land. The magic practiced there is a different brand of magic from out own. It was based on elements, such as fire and water, and I quickly grew interested in it. It was difficult to find someone who would teach me, but I eventually found out about a certain…shady school, shall we put it, in a country that the rest of that world frowned upon. There, I learned the magic that I knew from a person whose name I cannot say, for I have been sworn to secrecy. Using the magic that I now knew, after sixty four years of study, I teleported myself to another realm, the Twilight Realm, where I met Zant, a power-hungry Twili, and, well, you both know the story from there. Acting on my orders, Zant cursed Midna, and started to cover this world in Twilight."
Link and Midna were stunned into silence by this story. Then Midna found a flaw in the story.
"Wait, you said you were there for roughly sixty four years?" Midna asked suspiciously.
Ganondorf's smile became even wider. "Ah, I see you are a smart one, little princess." He said mockingly, "Yes, I actually did study for only sixty four years. When I used the travel spell, however, I accidentally traveled not only across space, but across time as well. When I came back, I found that four thousand years had passed. I was rather angry with myself at the time, but had I not made a mistake, I would never have had the pleasure of meeting you two!" He said to Link and Midna, who were glaring at him.
Link decided to ask the magician something, now that Ganondorf was chatty. "Why did you do what you did?" Link asked, "What reason would warrant the murders of millions of people."
Ganondorf grinned. "What reason did I have?" He said, "Do I have to have a reason?"
The blood was now pounding in Link's ears. "You mean to tell me," Link said through clenched teeth, "That you killed all of those people, covered Hyrule in Twilight, and destroyed two kingdoms just because you felt like it?!"
"Yep, that's about righ,." Ganondorf said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Link," Midna said softly, "He's trying to make you angry. Ignore it."
But Link didn't even hear her. He tried to get up, and found that he could move. Getting out of his chair so fast as though it was on fire, Link charged at Ganondorf, swinging an overhead cut at the evil king. Ganondorf laughed and dodged the attack. Link turned on his heel and swung a diagonal swing that Ganondorf, again, dodged with ease.
"THAT'S RIGHT, KEEP RUNNING!" Link screamed, "I'M GOING TO PUT YOU IN THE GROUND FOR ALL OF YOUR CRIMES!"
Ganondorf laughed. "If you want to put me in the ground," He said, "Than I will not make it easy for you!" And with a final laugh, he faded into darkness, which then flew inside of Zelda.
While Link was looking around to see where Ganondorf had gone, Midna was watching Zelda's body with suspicion. As she watched, Zelda's body opened its eyes and disappeared, only to reappear behind Link.
"Link, LOOK OUT!" Midna screamed.
Link, hearing her scream, ducked just in time for Zeldorf's fist to swing over his head, crashing into the pillar behind him and putting a crater in it.
Zeldorf was surveying its new body with dislike. "This body is far too weak physically," Zeldorf said in the same deep, booming voice, "But perhaps it shall make up for that with magical power."
Link was disgusted. "Fuck swords, I need an exorcist!" Link yelled, dodging a bolt of magic from the commingled two.
Link swung his sword in an arc that would have decapitated Zeldorf, had Zeldorf been unable to fly. The dangerously united one flew up, and, laughing, charged up a ball of dark energy and shot it at Link.
"LIIIIINK!" Midna cried as she saw the deadly ball strike Link in the chest.
Again, Midna felt that strange empty feeling, like her best friend was dead. Wait, her best friend was dead, she realized with a start. She was felt like breaking down and crying, however undignified that might be. Link was worth a few tears from her. 'He was worth more than that, too,' Midna thought.
Then Midna noticed something. Link wasn't dead. He was still standing, looking utterly bewildered, and had somehow managed to catch the ball on his sword. Midna felt like cheering, but decided against it when she saw the look of intense concentration flicker onto Link's face.
When the deadly globe of energy had been hurtling towards him, Link had prepared himself for death. But as a few seconds passed, Link realized that he was neither dead nor dying.
He opened his eyes, although he hadn't even realized that he had closed them in the first place, and saw that he had somehow managed to block the ball with his sword, which, without pressure behind it, was locked in a stalemate with the ball.
"Now that's more like it!" Link said, grinning. The grin quickly changed to a frown of concentration as he began to push the ball of energy back at Zeldorf.
Zeldorf was so surprised that Link hadn't died that it didn't move out of the way in time to dodge its own attack as Link repelled it back at it. The ball hit the wolf in sheep's clothing in the chest, causing it to drop like a stone, glaring at Link, who charged, sword raised.
When Link was ten feet away, Zeldorf yelled in the same godlike voice it had used when conjuring the chairs. "Picorius Shendon!"
When Link was five feet away from Zeldorf, he hit some invisible, yet definitely solid, barrier, and was blasted back into a pillar, the pillar cracking from the sheer force of the impact.
"The hell was that?!" Link shouted, preparing to charge again at the villain, although his back felt like it had been used as a Goron dance floor.
Midna, however, could see what was truly going on. She had been trained in the art of "Elemental Magic", as Ganondorf had called it, so she could see the telltale signs of magic being used and magic being prepared. She could see the protective shield, and could see that Zeldorf was charging another attack.
"Link," Midna yelled, "Stop and put up your shield!" She could only pray that Link had heard her.
Link, having known Midna long enough to trust her in almost any situation, quickly complied. And it was just in time, as a massive wall of force slammed into his shield, sending him flying into another pillar, adding to the count of destroyed royal property.
"Do you have something against my back, or are you just a sadist?" Link asked, rubbing his back and wincing, while still preparing to defend himself against another attack. He then remembered who he had just asked this of. "On second thought, don't answer that." Link said.
Zeldorf, however, wasn't paying attention to Link in the slightest. It was floating twenty feet in the air, well out of Link's range, staring at Midna with an appraising look on its face.
"So," Zeldorf said, "You know about Elemental magic." It crossed its arms and looked at Midna, waiting for a response.
Midna looked defiantly into Zeldorf's eyes and said, "Yes, I know Elemental magic, although I didn't know where it had originated. There is a scroll handed down from ruler to ruler in the Twilight Realm, detailing magic never before seen anywhere else, whether in the world of Light or Twilight. Never before seen, that is, until you used it."
Midna felt a slight grudging admiration of the man who stood before her. The magic had taken most of her life to learn, and tremendous amounts of energy were needed to use it. 'And it nearly killed me the first time I tried it.' Midna thought to herself. It was in that moment that she realized just how powerful their opponent was.
'I hope that Link can handle it.' Midna thought, than dismissed the worry. Link had never faced an enemy so powerful before, but Link had a habit of turning the tables in even the bleakest situations. Midna believed in Link, and would, and had, entrusted her life to him.
Zeldorf looked preoccupied with this new information, but that quickly changed when Link made his move. While Zeldorf and Midna had been talking, Link had been readying his bow. He took aim and fired, his arrow sinking into Zeldorf's right calf.
Zeldorf made a slight grunt of pain as the arrow went in, then another as it pulled the arrow out. It turned to face Link, and Link was shocked to see a smile on Zeldorf's face.
'Who the hell smiles after being shot in the fucking leg?!' Link thought, feeling the beginnings of fear creeping in on him.
Zeldorf was still smiling. "You know," Zeldorf said conversationally, as if they were talking about the next horse race, "You're really hurting your own princess. The damage is not done to me. When I shed this body after killing you, your princess will be the only one hurt."
This put the whole battle into a different perspective. In the haze of battle, Link had thought only of killing his enemy. Now, however, he realized that in order to kill Ganondorf, he may very well have to kill Zelda, also.
Zeldorf took advantage if Link's brief lapse in concentration to cast another spell. "RICARIO UN FYRON!" Zeldorf yelled in the godlike voice of magic.
All of a sudden, Link was surrounded by a ring of fire that was spiraling inwards towards him.
In that moment, Link realized that he was going to die.
Link had never thought too much about death, not because he thought he was invincible, there were too many near-death situations that proved that theory wrong, nor was it because he didn't believe in the gods, his own left hand was proof of their existence. No, the reason why he hadn't thought about death before is because he just didn't know how to give up. This ability had gotten him through countless situations, but in this one, though, the will to never give up wouldn't help him at all.
Link kept his eyes open; he didn't want to die a coward. 'Well, I guess this is it.' Link thought, watching the spiraling flames come ever closer while still fruitlessly trying to come up with plans for escape from this blasted fire. He thought of everything he never got to do, such as, say, save Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, defeat Mayor Bo in a drinking contest, find someone who he truly loved…
Just when the flames were about to reach Link, he heard a new voice. This voice sounded like it belonged to a goddess, and Link decided that if he was going to die, he could've been listening to something worse.
"INCANTATEM: AGUOS WATAN!: The voice said, and Link and the flames were soaked by hundreds of gallons of water, coming from nowhere. The flames were instantly doused, and Link's only thought was, '…Holy shit.' For the person who had cast the spell was Midna, who was kneeling on the ground, panting and sweating.
Link looked up Zeldorf, whose face looked absolutely livid, and so full of loathing it could've refilled Lake Hylia. Ignoring Link completely, Zeldorf sped towards the ground, and stormed over to where Midna was kneeling. Link started to run over, but he was too late as, without saying a word, and with the same expression of hatred and rage on its face, Zeldorf picked up Midna by the hair and threw her through a pillar, leaving a hole. Midna lay on the castle floor, silent as the grave.
Anger such as link had never felt before was boiling up inside of him. His vision became red, and his only thought was to kill this murdering son of a bitch. His body acting almost of its own accord, Link charged toward Zeldorf so fast Zeldorf barely had time to turn its head before Link's left hand, which was shining gold, reached through Zelda's body into the soul, ripped out Ganondorf and threw him into the wall above the throne, in which cracks radiated out from the point where Ganondorf had hit it.
Link was about to run over to Midna, but as soon as Ganondorf had fallen to the ground, unmoving, Midna and Zelda started to glow with light.
There was a bright flash of light, then Midna woke with a start, clutching her chest and breathing heavily. Link saw that Zelda was now breathing, with color returning to her body.
Link ran up to Midna and gave Midna a bone-crushing hug the Gorons would have been proud of, a single tear running down his face.
"Link," Midna gasped, turning slowly purple, "You're…slowly…killing…me…"
Wiping the tear away, Link smiled and let her go. "Sorry," he said, "Now don't worry me like that again, or else you'll get another hug.
Midna, still holding her ribs, sighed and said, "Well, it's not like I tried." She said, massaging her ribs to get some feeling back into them. When Link started to move forward, she said quickly, "And no more hugs!: She thought a rib might have cracked form the first hug, and didn't think she could take another.
Link backed away quickly, smirking inwardly, then winced and rubbed his back. "Damn, that guy punches harder than a Goron rolls." Link said, wincing.
"I wonder why he lost it like that, though?" Midna wondered aloud.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Growled a low, deep, angry voice from the throne.
Link and Midna turned to see Ganondorf getting up, miraculously still alive. His right hand was glowing with a harsh golden light, and his veins were starting to glow. He was giving them a look that would have reduced anybody else to tears, and his face was so red it might have been possible to fry an egg on it.
If Link had to guess how Ganondorf was feeling right now in two words, he would feel very confident in "beyond pissed".
"I tried to play nice," Ganondorf growled, "I tried to give you a quick and painless death-"
"A "quick and painless" death?!" Link said incredulously, "You tried to torch me with a ring of fire and you threw Midna through a pillar! How the hell does that, even in the void you call a mind, count as "quick and painless"?!"
"SILENCE!" Ganondorf roared, and Link grew silent, deciding that the best course of action would be to let Ganondorf talk while he made a plan.
"Now, as I was saying," Ganondorf growled, looking somehow more enraged than before, "I tried to be nice. But then you had to shoot me in the leg. You had to use the magic of my enemy-" Here Ganondorf paused, looking annoyed with himself, "-but nevermind that. But the final straw was forcibly tearing me out of the brat's body, and throwing me against a gods-damn wall!" He gritted his teeth, "I am a king, gods damnit! You do not do that to a king!"
"You know what kind of king you're about to become?" Link said, "King of the Dead!" Link charged at Ganondorf, already swinging an uppercut. Ganondorf then said something that stopped Link for a second.
"My, my, Link," Ganondorf said, now grinning maliciously, "I didn't know you were so smart."
'Wait, this guy can't really be the king of the dead, can he?" Link thought to himself. His train of thought was cut off, however, by Ganondorf's booming laugh.
"What's so funny?!" Link yelled, and his question was soon answered. Still laughing, Ganondorf started glowing. The glow than started to change form, and Link decided that it might be a good idea to put some distance between Ganondorf and himself.
Midna knew what was happening, and she saw Link moving away from the glow. "Link, watch out for that thing!" Midna shouted.
"Yeah, I know!" Link shouted back, and they both watched, helpless to stop it, as the glow grew in size until it was as big as a house, after which is started to take on the form of a giant beast.
When the glow faded, Ganondorf had disappeared. In his place was a giant boar the size of Link's house, which roared and demolished the throne with its hind legs.
Noticing Zelda, who was still resting, in a dangerous position, Link said, "Midna, move Zelda to a safer position!" Midna nodded and picked up the resting princess, and searched for a safe spot to place her.
Link took up a fighting stance as he prepared to fight Ganon, was forced to jump to the side as the monster charged at him, roaring, and came to a halt in front of the throne.
"Now, how do I beat this thing?" Link said aloud, dodging another charge. He looked over to where Midna was floating. She seemed to be analyzing the battle.
'Let's hope she can find a way to beat this thing.' Link thought, and prepared to face another charge.
But no matter what Link tried, he was forced again and again to dodge the monster as it barreled towards him. Even though he kept attempting to attack it, he knew that he couldn't find a good enough strategy to beat this thing, and so hoped that Midna could devise a good enough strategy.
Midna, who had placed Zelda in an alcove behind the remains of the throne, was watching Ganon and trying to find a weak point in the monster. As the boar ran past her towards Link, she felt guilty that Link was the one risking his life, while she was relatively safe, but that was what they had always done when fighting a tough enemy: Link held its attention while Midna found a way to beat it. And Midna also knew that link had another reason for wanting her out of the way: She was next to useless in this form. She couldn't even pick up a sword. Neither of these facts, however, made her feel better in the slightest, though.
On the next pass the boar made, however, Midna noticed something off. Link had dodged the boar at the last second, making it crash into a pillar, and as Ganon stumbled, she saw a glowing white scar running across Ganon's abdomen.
That was probably the monsters weak point! But Link could never reach it. Not unless he could somehow roll under the boar without being killed, or sat on.
As Midna thought about it, a plan, albeit an extremely risky one but a plan nonetheless, started to form on her mind. If she used the Hand of the Ethereal Demon, or the "hair hand" as Link commonly called it, she might be able to knock it aside, giving Link an opening to attack the scar.
"Link!" Midna shouted, "Distract it and come over here! I have a plan!"
'Easier said than done.' Link thought to himself as he dodged another pass made by the boar.
Link had some trouble distracting the boar, but found a part of the wall that had been made soft by age, and made the boar crash into it. Ganon's tusk got stuck inside of it, and Link took a few seconds to admire his work.
'That should buy me some time.' Link thought, then he sprinted over to where Midna was waiting.
When Link reached her, Midna saw just how bad he looked. He was sweating profusely; his clothes were ripped, showing his chain mail in some places; he was hobbling slightly; and he had a small gash in his right arm.
"Here, drink this." Midna said, taking a bottle of Gold Chu Jelly out of her storage and tossing it to him.
Link drank it, and although he turned a bit green, his injuries instantly healed completely, although he still looked exhausted.
"Now what did you say about a plan?" Link said, still looking a bit green from the Chu Jelly.
Midna related to him what she had seen, and what her plan was. When she had finished, Lin grimaced and said, "Let's get this over with."
Midna produced the Shadow Crystal and touched it to Link's forehead. There was a brief flash of darkness, and in Links place was a wolf with blue eyes and markings on its forehead. Midna jumped onto Link's back just in time for Ganon to pull its tusk out of the wall, roaring and preparing another charge.
"Link, are you ready?" Midna asked. Link barked affirmation, and they prepared to meet the charge.
Ganon charged at them, roaring, and Midna sent out her Hand of the Ethereal Demon. Right when the beast was in range, Midna grabbed it with the Hand and was almost thrown off of Link by the sheer force of the charge. She managed to stay on by grabbing Link's ears, eliciting a small whimper of pain from him. Link dug his paws into the ground, and helped Midna resist the charge by keeping his footing.
Struggling, Link and Midna fought back the charge, and , in the brief lull that followed while Ganon was gathering the energy to fight back, Midna threw Ganon to the side and jumped off of Link as he jumped onto Ganon and started ripping the scar tissue apart, bringing a lot of blood and pained squeals.
However, despite Link's best efforts, the monster started to rise yet again. Link jumped off of the boar, but before he had even reached the floor, something gold whistled past him, into the scar and out the other side, where it lodged itself into the wall above the remains of the throne.
Link looked at the object. It was an arrow with odd, glowing golden runes running along the shaft.
Then, Link and Midna turned back to Ganon as it let out an earsplitting squeal. They readied themselves for battle, but the beast writhed on the ground and, with a final scream, lay still.
Link and Midna turned to face the direction where the arrow had come from, and standing there was none other than Princess Zelda, holding a golden glowing bow and looking perfectly fine for somebody who had just been through hell and back.
"Princess!" Link said, sheathing his sword, "You're alive!" He made to bow, but Zelda stopped him with a raised hand.
"Yes, Link, I am alive." Zelda said, "I want to-"
But that was as far as she got before Midna, with tears running down her face, tackled her and gave her a hug not unlike the one Link had given her earlier. She then realized what she was doing, and she flushed and backed away.
"Sorry, Princess." Midna said, "I got carried away."
Zelda smiled softly and said, "It is quite alright, Twilight Princess. I am touched by your compassion for me." Zelda then walked over and hugged Midna back, then released her and turned so that she faced both Link and Midna.
"You have done the kingdom of Hyrule a great favor." Zelda said solemnly, "You have eliminated the single most dangerous threat ever to plague our great nation. Not only that, but you have saved the Twilight Realm as well. I give you my most sincere thanks, and if you ever need anything, anything at all, it shall be yours."
"Unless if you can somehow make me able to defeat Bo in a drinking contest, than thanks, but no thanks." Link said, "I already have everything I need. And besides, saving Hyrule and the Twilight Realm needed to be done. It was my duty to save it. If I had just let it happen, I would've become a monster like Ganondorf, condemning thousands of people to their deaths."
"Very noble indeed." Zelda said. She then turned to Midna. "And you, Midna. Is there anything you want? And I mean anything?" Zelda already thought she knew what the answer was, but she though it would make things easier to ask her.
"I will need help rebuilding by kingdom." Midna said at once, "I am going to need massive amounts of supplies and men to rebuild the capital, and so I ask you to lend me the supplies."
"Very well, I shall lend you men and supplies." Zelda said, "We shall work out the details at a later date."
Link, however, had just noticed something off. "Hey Midna? Shouldn't your curse have worn off by now?" He asked.
Midna looked at herself and said slowly, "Yeah, you're right. It should have worn off by now. Unless…Damn it!" She looked at Link, alarm on her face, "He's not dead, Link!"
Just then, a loud, booming laugh resounded throughout the entire throne room. The body of Ganon disappeared, and the room suddenly grew very warm as a massive column of flame rose up out of nowhere, changing into the shape of Ganondorf's head.
"Damn it!" Link growled, drawing his sword, "What does it take to kill you?!"
The apparition chuckled. "A hell of a lot more than a few bites and an arrow." It said, grinning, "Now, why don't you attack me? I assure you, you'll come out of this more hurt than I will be."
Link began to charge, but a hand on his shoulder made him stop. He looked over to see Midna holding his shoulder, shaking her head.
"Link," She said softly, "You can't defeat him. There's only one way."
Link instantly knew what s he meant by that. "Oh no you don't!" Link yelled, "You are not going to sacrifice yourself to save us! I won't let you!"
Link would've said more, but he felt the familiar feeling of being split into many different pieces, the feeling that accompanies warping. Helpless to do anything, Link watched as Midna smiled sadly at him, then summoned the Fused Shadows. Link's final view of Midna was seeing the mask clamp onto her face, and than his world went black.
When Link woke up, he was on a grassy hill, with a good view of the palace.
"Midna?" Link said groggily.
"She is not here." Said a sad voice.
Link turned to see Zelda standing up, looking at the palace with a look of remorse on her face.
Link stood up and looked at the palace. No sooner had he turned his head then the palace exploded, bricks and wood flying everywhere. A lone figure rode out of the palace gates, carrying something.
Link felt a cold hand grip his heart. The lone rider was Ganondorf. There was no sign of Midna anywhere.
Suddenly, Zelda gasped. "Link," She said, "Look at what he's holding."
Link looked closer, and saw something that made his blood boil. Held high above Ganondorf's head was Midna's mask. As Link watched, Ganondorf grinned maliciously and crushed it with his bare hands.
"Your friend is no more!" Ganondorf yelled in a booming voice that carried all the way from the castle to where Link and Zelda were, "Now, we shall settle this, "Hero", without the interference of pesky rats!" Ganondorf threw what was left of the mask onto the ground and spurred his horse into a gallop, charging towards Link.
"Link," Zelda said, "Call your horse. I can use my Arrows of Light to harm him enough for you to strike the finishing blow."
Link whistled Epona's Song with his fingers. Epona immediately came charging from the direction of the castle gate. Link and Zelda were forced to dodge Ganondorf's first charge as they waited for Epona.
As Link and Zelda got onto Epona, Link wondered how he was staying so calm. True, he now would not stop at killing Ganondorf even if he died, but still, he should be angry. His best friend had just been murdered, so why wasn't he pissed?
While thinking back, Link remembered something. When Midna had been thrown through the pillar, Link had completely and utterly lost it, although it was a bit hard to remember what exactly had happened there. Ever since that had happened, Link had felt relatively calm and in control. But why was that?
"Link!" Zelda said, "He's coming!"
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Link steered Epona to face the charging Ganondorf, made sure his shield was secure, and charged.
Since Link was left-handed, he wasn't sure how this battle would go. He would have the advantage as long as he stayed on the right, for then Ganondorf would have to turn around in the saddle to attack him, while Link could just swing. But if he went to the left, then the same would be true for Ganondorf.
'I just have to stay on the right, then.' Link thought to himself, preparing to meet Ganondorf.
When they reached each other, Ganondorf immediately turned around in the saddle so fast Link didn't see it and swung an equally fast overhead blow, which Link met with his shield.
The impact was so great that Link felt his shield crack a little bit. 'Damn,' Link thought, 'My shield won't be able to take another hit like that.' He turned to Ganondorf, who was now smiling.
"Link, watch out." Zelda whispered from behind him, "He's about to try something."
Indeed, that was what it looked like. "Hey Link," Ganondorf yelled, "Let's make this interesting, shall we?!"
He raised a hand to the sky and spoke in the voice of magic, "DEPARID SOLRONS, OBON MUI! COMEN DORON FRON AFTIRIL, ANTID SERVITESE MUI!" Instantly, the sky darkened, and black lightning flashed. Wherever the lightning struck, ghostly soldiers on horseback appeared, swords at the ready. Link heard Zelda gasp.
"N-No, it's not possible!" Zelda said, sounding alarmed, "How could he have mastered that spell?!"
"Princess, calm down." Link said, even though he had felt his own heart rate go up higher than usual, "What spell is that?"
"It's Necromancy." Zelda said, swallowing, "The art of the dead."
Link felt fear yet again. Suddenly, some of the things that Ganondorf had said now made sense. 'So, technically, he is King of the Dead.' Link thought, 'Well, things certainly got more interesting.'
Link was pulled out of his thoughts by the first of the Undead horsemen reaching him. As Link fought them, he realized that most of them had horrible wounds. 'This guy is even sicker than I thought.' Link said, dispatching another one of the Undead horsemen.
Link realized that he had bigger problems, however, as he heard the sound of a horse neighing, than the clopping of hooves. It sounded like Ganondorf was coming in for another pass.
Link dispatched the last of the horsemen, turned, and galloped towards Ganondorf. They met yet again, and this time Link caught the attack with his sword. 'Damn it!' Link thought, grinding his teeth at the numbness in his arm, 'I can't keep going like this!'
Link stared at the dark horse Ganondorf was riding, and suddenly an idea came to him.
As he turned to face Ganondorf, he prayed silently to the goddesses that Ilia would never find out about what he was about to do. 'Well, here goes nothing.' Link said, and charged at Ganondorf.
"Zelda, keep your head down." Link said. Zelda nodded and ducked.
When the two met, Ganondorf swung a sweeping blow, aiming to take off Link's head, most likely. Instead of meeting the evil king's swing, however, Link ducked at the lat minute, causing Ganondorf to fall slightly off balance. In the brief moment while Ganondorf was recovering, Link swung a sweeping blow not unlike the one Ganondorf had just tried to use against him, and cut off the dark horse's right legs.
Ganondorf, not expecting this, fell off of his horse, which was now rolling around on the ground. Link winced. 'Well, it had to be done.' Link said, although he still felt a slight pang of guilt at having to cut off the horse's legs.
Link and Zelda jumped off of Epona. "Go back to the stables, girl." Link said. Epona ran off back towards the castle, and Link helped Zelda to her feet.
"It turns out we didn't need those arrows after all, eh, Zelda?" Link said, looking at Zelda.
Zelda readied her bow. "It's not over yet." She said, "He is far from dead."
Just as Zelda finished her sentence, a wall of Twilight energy formed, blocking Link from Zelda.
Link turned around to face Ganondorf, who was getting to his feet.
Once he was back on his feet, Ganondorf looked at Link with a grin on his face. "Very impressive, Link." He said, "Cutting off my horse's legs like that. I didn't think you had it in you. Now, let's see if you can be that heartless to me, shall we?" He picked up his sword and added as an afterthought, "Oh, and by the way, neither of us is leaving here until one of us dies. It ends here."
"Fine by me." Link growled, "I'll pay you back for all of those people you killed." Link remembered Midna and felt anger bubbling up inside of him again.
Link heard a slight noise and saw Zelda trying to break the barrier with her arrows. As if reading his mind, Ganondorf laughed and said, "This barrier is unbreakable until either the caster chooses to release it or dies. One of us is dying here."
"That'll be you!" Link said, and he charged at Ganondorf.
Link swung an overhead strike, which Ganondorf parried with ease. Link than made a feint to the left, then made a swing diagonally to from the right. Ganondorf, almost as if he expected this, barely made an effort for the feint and blocked the real strike, countering with an overhead blow that opened the crack in link's shield even more.
Link jumped back and examined his shield. It now had a long gash in the middle. 'Damn it,' Link said, throwing the shield to the side, 'now I don't have a shield.'
"Oh, losing our shield, are we?" Ganondorf said, grinning wide, "You must be confident than, hmm? Or am I just too strong for you?"
"In your nightmares." Link growled, running towards Ganondorf again.
Blow after blow, parry after parry, the battle went on. Finally, Link was too exhausted to move. He parried another stab, then, finally, kneeled down on the ground, unable to continue.
Ganondorf walked leisurely over to Link. "So, finally finished?" Ganondorf said, "I must say, I am impressed. You managed to deal me more damage than all of the other heroes combined. Since I am so impressed, I think I will reward you. Kings always pay their debts, after all." He chuckled. "I will gift you with the last words your little friend said. I think you will enjoy them, as they are directly related to you."
Seeing Link's look of rage, Ganondorf laughed and continued. "Until the very end, she talked about you." Ganondorf said, grinning maliciously, "She was talking about how you are the true hero, as if something like that exists, and how you were going to…what was it? Oh yes, "Grind me to a bloody pulp". Your friend had quite the mouth. Annoying, really, and nothing more."
Link was starting to see red. But the last words that Ganondorf said cinched it.
"Oh yes, and her last words were, "Whatever you do, do not kill Link"."
Link felt the same anger welling up inside of him as he had felt when Ganondorf had thrown Midna through a pillar. His left hand glowed golden, and his veins did the same. He charged towards Ganondorf, who barely had time to look surprised before Link slammed his sword into Ganondorf's blade, breaking it.
"What the hell happened to you, kid?!" Ganondorf said, then fell silent as Link's blade, crackling and shining with golden energy, was sent straight into Ganondorf's scar.
Ganondorf coughed up some blood, then looked down at the blade sticking out of his abdomen.
"Wow, kid, I didn't think you had it in you." He didn't sound angry or shocked, just mildly surprised. "Well, I guess this is the end." He looked directly at Link, who was calmed down enough to think and see, and said, "Kid, never give up on the things important to you. Those got you this far, and so they will get you further." Without saying another word, Ganondorf, the King of Evil, and King of the Gerudo, slowly disappeared into nothing, and faded from the world of the living.
Link dropped to one knee, and his sword clattered to the ground. He faintly heard Zelda calling his name, but then, for the second time that day, his world went black.
When Link came too, he quickly got to his feet and saw Zelda nearby. It seemed that they were on the field still where the battle had taken place.
"Wha' happened to Ganondorf?" Link asked, still groggy from just waking up.
Zelda smiled and said, "He is truly gone from this world, Link. Whatever you did, he is now gone."
Link had a hazy vision of gold, but decided not to share it.
Then Link remembered something extremely important. "And Midna?" Link said, although he thought he already knew the answer.
Zelda looked regretful, but before she could say a word, a voice from behind Link said, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
Link spun around, and standing behind him was the most beautiful woman Link had ever seen. She had silver skin, long orange hair, red eyes, and glowing green tattoos all around her body. Oh, and she was also completely naked.
Link tried to say something, but he found that he couldn't speak. The woman giggled and said, "Am I so beautiful that you can't even speak?"
Link finally found his voice, and said, "M-Midna?!" He hardly dared to believe it.
"The one and only!" And the woman, now identified as Midna, gave him another hug, which Link found he rather liked. At the expression on Link's face, Midna gave another giggle. "Hey, that was payback for the hug earlier."
They were interrupted by Zelda clearing her throat. They turned to face her, and Zelda, who was a bit pink in the cheeks, said, "I apologize for interrupting your, ah, "Reunion", but we have more urgent matters to attend to. For example, Link, you are dead on you feet, and are in desperate need of a good bath. Midna, you just came back from the dead, and are wearing nothing. Also, there is the slight issue of thanking you for your services to the kingdom."
"Zelda, you have to learn to relax a bit." Midna said, grinning and elbowing her, "Even we rulers have to relax sometimes, or else we get a pole stuck up our rear end."
"Well, still, Link needs rest." Zelda said, "Come, Link. I'll see if there's any room that are not demolished. And I think one of my dresses will fit you, Midna."
Link saw Midna wince, and he smirked. He knew how much Midna hated dresses.
Unfortunately for him, Midna saw his smirk. She punched him in the head, and strode off without saying anything. But while Link was nursing his skull, he didn't see the broad grin that was on Midna's face.
Zelda, however, did, and she sighed and thought to herself, 'This is going to be a long few months.'
Link, Zelda, and Midna were grouped around the Mirror of Twilight in the Mirror Chamber. It had been four months since the battle with Ganondorf, now it was time for them to say their goodbyes.
Midna looked at Link and Zelda with a sad look. "Well," She said, "It's time for me to go, I guess."
Link and Zelda nodded. "Yes, it is." Zelda said, "I wish you luck in rebuilding your kingdom, and I shall send over the men and supplies we agreed on over the course of the next few months."
Midna nodded and bowed. Zelda returned the favor and they looked at each other, and no more words were needed.
Midna turned to Link. "Link," She said softly, "This past year with you has been some of the best times of my life. This experience has changed both me and my life forever. I will miss you."
Link just nodded and said nothing. Truth be told, he was holding back tears at the moment. He was not, by no means, a crier, but he wasn't entirely heartless, either.
"Link," Midna said, "I have one last gift to give you. Well, two really." She pulled two objects out of her bag. One was a small black bag with glowing Twili runes, and the other was what seemed to be a charm with what Link recognized as the Twili royal crest.
"This," Midna said, holding up the bag, "Is a magic bag that I made myself. It has nearly infinite space inside of it, and I've already put most of your equipment inside of it. And this," She held up the charm, "Is a pass to get inside of the royal palace. Use it to come visit me sometime." She tossed the two items to Link, who caught them and attached them to his belt.
"And finally," Midna said, looking at them solemnly, "I have one last thing to say to you. If either of you need any help, or if you, or Hyrule, are in danger, please, don't hesitate to come and ask me." She turned and walked up the steps to the Mirror, which started to activate.
"G-Goodbye than." Midna said, her back turned. She went inside of the Mirror, and was sent through the portal into her own world. Link thought he heard a small sob, then the portal closed and all was silent.
"Goodbye, Midna." Link whispered, and he turned his back on the Mirror to start the journey back.
A/N: Oh My Fucking God, that was my longest chapter ever! This thing took me so long to write, I think my hands may just fall off. Well, anyways, I can't promise that another chapter will be up anytime soon, because I'm very busy a lot of the time. So, hope you enjoyed it. Triforcelord, out!