Link cringed with pain as Ganondorf's sword slashed into his shoulder. The young hero had finally arrived at the Gerudo tyrant's fortress, which was made from the remains of Hyrule Castle. The journey so far had been very emotionally exhausting for Link. First, the Great Deku Tree, the closest thing he had to a father, had died because of a monster that was making him sick. Then he was told he had to deliver the Kokiri Emerald to someone named Princess Zelda, which forced him to leave the forest for the first time in his life.
Accompanied by a fairy named Navi, he traveled across a great field to the castle where the princess lived. It took some time, but Link was finally able to avoid the guards and get to the royal garden. Upon gazing at Princess Zelda for the first time, Link felt something he never felt before. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders and that all was right with the world. Unfortunately, those feelings had to be put aside when Zelda told him about the mysterious man who was visiting her father.
The man was Ganondorf, king of a desert tribe known as the Gerudo. Despite barely knowing him, Zelda could see evil in his eyes. She tried telling her father about this, but he did not believe her. Thankfully for her, Link did. For some reason, the boy felt that the princess was telling the truth and he wanted to help her. She told him about the dream she had, where dark clouds covered the land, choking out the light of the sun. The girl was certain that Ganondorf would be the cause of this future tragedy. She believed that his true intentions were to steal the Triforce, a sacred relic that can grant wishes.
The princess tasked Link with finding the two remaining Spiritual Stones: the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire. They were the key to getting to the Master Sword, hidden in the Temple of Time. Link was successful in retrieving the stones, but returned to find Hyrule Castle burning and evil creatures terrorizing its citizens. Shocked by this terrible sight, Link feared for Princess Zelda's safety. He ran to the castle, only to find out that Ganondorf had slain the king and seized the throne. Once the drawbridge had lowered, Link watched Zelda and her bodyguard Impa riding away on a horse, afraid for their lives. When Zelda saw that Link had come back, she threw an object into the castle's moat, praying that it would help him on his journey.
After being violently accosted by Ganondorf, Link looked to see what Zelda had left for him. It was the Ocarina of Time, a precious heirloom of the royal family. Link entered the Temple of Time and pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal. Since he was too young to wield such a mighty weapon, the blade put him to sleep for seven years.
When he woke, Link discovered that he was an adult. The kingdom of Hyrule was in complete ruin, and the people lived miserably. Ganondorf was now the sole ruler of Hyrule, and used his authority to torment the people. On top of that, Princess Zelda was nowhere to be found. After rescuing the Seven Sages, Link ran towards Hyrule Castle, armed with the Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time. He was prepared to face Ganondorf. The fact that Zelda was his prisoner motivated him even more. However, the battle was not going the way Link had planned.
"Give up, you piece of Hylian garbage! You cannot defeat me!", Ganondorf arrogantly proclaimed. Link leaned on the Master Sword to stand back up, coughing up blood. He couldn't give up. He had to win. An innocent woman's life was at stake. The young man was so hurt he could barely stand. Ganondorf smiled. The Hero of Time was no match for him. Once he slays him, no one will dare stand in his way! But it wasn't enough. The Gerudo King wanted to see Link suffer.
As the hero was struggling on the ground, Ganondorf freed Zelda from her crystal prison. The princess did not say anything. She was too terrified to move, let alone open her mouth. She felt her heart breaking inside her chest. At that exact moment, she knew she was doomed. Powerless, Link watched Ganondorf stab the love of his life. He screamed, tears falling on his cheeks. No. It couldn't be.
Zelda fell to the floor, her beautiful dress tarnished by blood and her face frozen with fear. Her eyes were open wide with shock, never to see the light of day again. Link held her against him, tears in his eyes. He desperately wanted to slash Ganondorf's throat. He wanted him to suffer for what he did. The monster had killed Zelda in cold blood, without a second thought.
Sadly, Link did not have the strength to fight anymore. As he lowered his head in defeat, he could hear Ganondorf's footsteps approaching. The Gerudo let out a low chuckle as he asked, "How does it feel, Hero of Time? To reclaim the one you love and yet lose her at the same time? Does it hurt?" The boy, in his shock, nodded mutely. He no longer had the strength to fight now that Zelda was gone. Link felt Ganondorf's breath in his ear as the Demon King whispered, "Do you want this pain to go away forever?"
Link nodded again and suddenly felt a hand grab the back of his head. Forced to look into Ganondorf's eyes, Link saw him summoning magic into his other hand. Laughing cruelly, the Demon King declared, "Then allow me to oblige!" He enveloped the hero's face with dark magic, causing Link to scream. And then…