The End of Hyrule
1
A/N: This takes place between LoZ:TP and WW.
Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda and all related characters, places, and themes are owned by Nintendo. The plot is owned by Shaden and is used with permission. This story is not used for profit in any way.
He was sick of always being on the blade end of the sword. It was always the two of them against him. Fate was a cruel enemy. But if he could perhaps write his own fate, things may go different.
He'd had his eye on one particular lad for many years, watching and manipulating, making things just right. When the time came, things wouldn't go the same as they always did.
--
Link stood and stretched his back. He'd been leaning over too long. It cracked and he let out a content sigh. The sun beat down on his face, causing more sweat to collect on his forehead. He wiped it and took another swig from his water pouch. Life as a farmer's kid was hard.
A group of other kids from his village ran down the road at the side of the field. He held up a hand and waved, but they turned their heads and kept running. He lowered his hand slowly. It didn't help at all not having a single friend in the village.
Ever since he was a kid, it seemed that nothing went right for him. Someone else was always getting picked. Someone else received the special gifts or talents. And he was always left with nothing. No friends, no skills. All he had was the field.
And what did that give him? Nothing but sores and a farmer's tan. Every day it seemed he had some new scar, even after doing this for several years now.
He didn't leave the field until the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. His shirt was soaked with sweat like always and his pack of harvested wheat was slung over his shoulder. The path to the village was empty. A few people hung around in the village itself. But as he swung open the gate, they stopped and started to spread. Anyone on the path moved well out of the way and even those already giving him a wide berth took a step or two back.
Link didn't make eye contact with any of them. He just kept his face towards the dirt and trudged past them. Every day it was the same thing.
His house was separated from the village by a row of hills and up in a tree. It was the only house not part of the village and he was the only occupant ever since his parents passed on a year ago. He decided not to go in quite yet. Instead he dropped the wheat under the drying shelter and grabbed his wooden sword from the same place. Making sure no one was watching, and no one ever was, he parted the plants behind the tree and crept off.
--
Link spun, slashing the piece of wood through the air and chopping a flower from its stem. He twisted his hips and brought the sword over him and down in an arch. But he suddenly stopped the blade an inch from another plant. The air from the swing caused it to sway, but the wood never touched it.
Link sighed and stood up, his breath heavy and head wet. It wasn't true that he didn't have any skills. With nothing else to do, whenever he was sad, he'd always come here, to his secret forest clearing, and practice with his father's old wooden sword. Three years of practice hadn't gone to waste.
But it still didn't seem like enough. No one in the village cared about swordplay. And if anyone outside the village knew, he would very likely get drafted into the army. Perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing…
He shook his head, sending the thought as far away as possible. His father had always said, "The army is just the King's way of showing power. It is as useless as gills to a bird."
Link just wished he had something to belong to. The villagers treated him like dirt, and there was no one that accepted him for him. He had met one girl once, but she was on the far side of Hyrule and that was years ago. No doubt she'd forgotten about him.
He retightened his grip on the wood and went into another dance of attacks, his form seeming to move like a ghost in the bright moonlight. He could almost see his opponents in the space around him, a group of knights covered in dark armor. One stepped forward and brought his thick sword down. Link crossed his blade, sending the metal off course. He stepped forward bringing the blade through the weak spot at the soldier's neck. It vanished from his mind and another stepped forward.
This came at him with a wide horizontal swing. Link spun back out of range and charged in with a thrust, but it was knocked away. He used the momentum from the parry to bring his sword downward, but the other did the same. Their blades locked, pushing against each other with all their strength.
Link sidestepped and twisted his sword, causing his opponents to fall to the ground and he staggered. Link stepped behind him and brought his sword low and up, sending it under the armor from below. He pulled it out and the being collapsed and vanished.
This time a lightly armored man with a thinner sword came forward. He attacked with a fury of thrusts. Link switched to a backhand grip and began to deflect them, using the flat of the blade to angle the attacks away. One attack came slightly higher, and Link grabbed the chance. He sent the attack and away and lowered himself into a spin, his blade flying just above the grass. It smashed into the soldier's legs and he stumbled and fell. Link brought the sword back up as he jumped. The blade came straight down and buried to the guard through the man's breastplate.
Suddenly the ground below him began to crumple. The enemies in Link's mind were forgotten as he tried to find his footing. But the earth crumpled into a sinkhole, taking him with it.
It wasn't a long fall. Perhaps only fifteen feet. But it still left his arm aching from the impact. He looked back up. There was probably no way he'd be getting out of here.
He pushed himself to his feet. It was almost pitch black down here. He couldn't see more than an inch from his face. Except…for a small light. It was far off, but he obviously wasn't going back up. He decided to be adventurous.
He went slowly, making sure he didn't trip on any rocks or roots. But after a while, he could get a look at his destination. The light was from the moon, somehow bright enough to light up a section of the cave below through a large hole above. The area was covered in grass with absolutely no rocks or other vegetation in the light. But most striking of all was at the very center of the glow. A sword, an actual sword, was buried into a square stone. The sword had a flaring blue guard and hilt, with a blade that expanded partway down. At the cross of the guard and hilt, a yellow symbol of three triangles added some decoration. A similar symbol was carved into the stone as well.
Link saw the sword and stopped. Something about it felt…different. It seemed to radiate an aura of power. He'd heard of a weapon of legend that had been used to seal away a great evil. But there were never any words about it directly; the legends mostly spoke of the Hero of Time who wielded the blade. But that was beside the point.
He took a step closer.
"Hello, Link."
He froze. Where had that voice come from? It was certainly dark enough for someone to hide, but the voice didn't seem to come from a direction. It was like the voice was just there. "Who are you?"
"I am merely one who cares about the wellbeing of Hyrule." A glowing circle materialized in the air. It looked like some kind of portal, for a man was standing just on the other side. Only his head was visible and even that could barely be made out. He had a thick red beard and grey skin. A large gold medallion hung over his forehead. "And it is time we brought Hyrule back to the right."
Link's gaze moved between the man and the sword. "I…don't understand."
"I am Ganondorf, the one sealed away by the Royal family years ago."
Link's eyes flared. "You're the Evil King from the legend!"
"No. The King of Hyrule has deceived you and all the others. I am not the great evil. HE is."
"How can that be? The people have prospered under the rule of the King."
"Are you so naive? The Kind has grown fat, using the taxes from the people for his own gain. He uses his armies to harass the people more than to protect them. He has become the evil of the land." Ganondorf pointed to the blade. "There is the Master Sword. Only the wielder of the Triforce of Courage may wield it."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Look at your hand."
Link held up his left hand. A ring of light appeared on the back of his hand. It focused and three triangles appeared in the ring. The one on the bottom right glowed slightly more brightly than the others. Link could suddenly feel a sense of strength from it.
"You are the descendant of the Great Hero. You are the one destined to take up the Master Sword and save Hyrule in times of darkness. Now is that time."
Link's eyes wouldn't leave his hand, but he shook his head. "No…I can't do this. I'm nobody."
"Your whole life people have despised you and treated you like filth. Don't you want to be a part of something great?" Link's eyes came up to meet Ganondorf's. "Join me, and together we will show the world that you are worthy of honor."
Those eyes were incredibly hypnotic. Link suddenly found himself walking forward. His heart became filled with a new purpose. He'd help the people of Hyrule in this time of need and finally show them all why he was worth something. "I'll do it."
He reached out to grasp the sword. Just as he did, the Triforce on his hand became a blood red. His hand curled around the hilt of the blade. It seared with heat, but Link held his grip. His lifted it up. With a small crack, it dislodged from the rock. The glowing symbol on the guard turned from gold to the same red of Link's Triforce of Courage and a dark haze spread down and over the blade. He pulled the blade up and pointed it straight to the moon. "Hyrule shall be ours!"
Ganondorf looked on and formed an evil grin. Fate was finally turning in his favor.
--
Link stepped out into the village at first light. Some others were already about, and they all stopped and looked over. They could all tell something had changed.
His everyday light green working clothes were gone, replaced by a long black tunic and chain mail. A sword was strapped across his back and the back of his hand dully glowed red.
He strode through the village. And the people gave him an even bigger gap than they usually did. He stopped at the village gate and turned back, looking over the small crowd that had started to gather. "Do not fear. I will save you all. Maybe then you'll have some reason to respect me."
He turned, but someone was suddenly there, blocking his path. It was one of the village elders. Most had taken to calling her granny. She was short with a bun of grey hair, but she was the oldest and wisest member of the village. She looked over his new outfit. "That cloth…resembles that of the Great Hero's."
Link looked down on her. "Stand aside."
Her face seemed to light up. "The Hero of Time has returned! In our time of need the Great Hero has come back." She took a step towards him, arms outstretched.
Link's hand rose over his shoulder. "I said, Stand ASIDE!" In one motion, the blade flew out through her neck and back to its sheath. The motion was so fast, the old woman froze. After a second, the head toppled to the ground and the body fell in the other direction.
The villagers froze in shock. Link just stepped over the bleeding form and passed through the gate.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Someone charged at Link's back.
Link crouched, causing the man to trip over him. He stood, flinging the man to the ground, and drew out his black blade. Flipping it in midair, he brought it down into the man's gut.
The man screamed in pain as he became impaled. Link leaned down into his face. "ANYONE that gets in my way I will cut down." He yanked the blade out with a sickening squish and slid it back into the sheath, leaving the village in hysterics behind him.
--
Link stepped out onto the great Hyrule Plain. In the far distance, Hyrule Castle pierced the sky, a bright white and blue beacon to travelers. Seeing it brought a feeling of hatred from the pit of his stomach.
"You mustn't go yet. Alone, you will be no match for all the palace guards. Go to Kakariko Village. I will give you some creatures to aid you there."
A shadow began to spread out in front of Link and expanded upwards. It formed legs and an elongated head. When the darkness evaporated, a black horse was standing in front of Link. Without a second thought, he jumped into the saddle and the horse carried him off.
The fields were mostly empty. At one point, a single guard was positioned at the Western Bridge. He held up a hand as Link approached. "Halt! Identify yourself." Link had used his sword to fling the two halves of his body into the roaring river below.
--
Kellik, the shaman of Kakariko, was preparing a medical potion when his body straightened and locked up. His nostrils flared as his extra sense picked up on something coming towards the village.
He ran outside into the dusty valley. The sacred spring lapped gently next to the southern entrance. It was the only way in from where the presence was coming. He grabbed his staff from the doorway, a long piece of whittled wood with an eagle skull and feathers at its point.
A dark horse jumped the gate and burst into the village. But it stopped and its single rider jumped down.
Kellik ran into the center of the pathway leading deeper into the village. "Evil presences shall not pass into this village!"
Link kept walking. "I'm not the evil one."
The shaman stepped into Link's path. "Whatever schemes you have here shall not come to pass!"
Link finally looked up into the man's eye. "Supporters of the false king will be struck down." He drew out his sword and swung.
The shaman was fast, and held out his staff to block the attack. The sacred wood held firm, stopping the metal. Link growled. "Let me pass and you may live."
The shaman met his gaze and then looked down. His eyes paused on the sword gripped in Link's hand. His will shattered. "The Master Sword!" Kellik jumped back and fell to a knee. "The Blade has been defiled!" He held his staff forward and began to chant.
Link looked down on the man for a moment, then turned and walked off.
Shelia had watched the whole thing. When the man in black finally left, she rushed over to the shaman. "Kellik! What's wrong?!"
Kellik looked up at her in pure fear. "The Blade of Evil's Bane has fallen. And so shall all of Hyrule!"
--
Link stepped into the dismal graveyard just behind the village. Dozens of tombstones filled the space, adding a grey color to the red of the rocks. A few even sported flowers from recent visits or natural intrusion.
He stepped through the graves, sliding his hand over the rough stones. At the other end, the ground was built up to a second level. He rose up the stairs and stood before the biggest tombstone in the space. The name carved there was of a great warrior who had once protected the village.
"Do it."
Link drew the blade from his back and plunged it into the earth. The ground shook and dark shadows jumped about, moving from tombstone to tombstone. Eventually, the shadows vanished and the space became calm. Link stood and replaced the sword. He kept his gaze on the large tombstone before him.
Behind, on the first level of tombstones, the earth began to quake and crumble. Out of each tombstone, a single ghostly lantern emerged, glowing blue or red. To the naked eye, it appeared as just a floating light. But they were actually Poes, forsaken souls that could tear a physical being to shreds without having to fear harm. The ghosts rose and gathered overhead.
Then the earth split, and skeletal hands and feet pushed up from below the earth. Whole skeletons stood, one from each grave. A few were missing parts, but it was not enough to slow them. Even being separated would not be able to stop these beasts. They could reform at a single command, making them an unstoppable force.
And yet Link only gave them all a passing thought. His greatest prize still lay before him. A bony hand tore up and clawed at the air. Link reached down and grasped it. He pulled and the remains below came up into the light. This one still wore scraps of armor, including what looked like a torn skirt and rusty breastplate. A helm came down to cover half of the face.
Link and the great entity shared a stare for a moment. Then the great skeleton placed a hand over its chest and kneeled. Behind him, all the other skeletons did the same.
Link turned and looked down upon his new force. "Long has the King of Hyrule made the people suffer. Tonight, we shall save them from this tyranny." He drew the black blade. "Tonight, the King shall DIE!"
The skeletons jumped to their feet, screaming in wicked voices that caused the entire village to shake.
--
"Sire, they are getting closer! The town is completely overrun and our final exterior defenses won't last long!"
"Understood." The great king, dressed in his long royal robe looked around the great chamber. His personal guard surrounded him. Another squad stood by the door, spears and swords ready. Everyone else had already fled into the tunnels, including his daughter Zelda. As long as she made it out, nothing else mattered.
The great door banged on its hinges. Those by it took an involuntary step back. "Hold!" They were all on their reserves of courage and he could tell. They'd had to stand there as the screams from the town penetrated the very stones of the castle. He wouldn't be surprised if most of them would turn and flee any second.
The wooden doors suddenly flung open and three blue lights rushed in. The forward squad stumbled, completely caught off guard. A few up front thrust quickly, but it only hit air. A slash of steel was heard and the man just keeled over.
It became pandemonium. Every soldier the lights touched just died.
The King watched in horror. They were Poes! But the only time Poes ever appeared was when HE returned.
Suddenly it began to slow. All of the soldiers at the front of the chamber lay motionless and the lights stopped to just float.
Link stepped into the chamber, dark sword in hand, and the Poes moved behind him. One of the soldiers rushed forward, sword drawn. Link stepped to the side and brought his blade through, cutting through him as if there weren't any armor on his body. He collapsed, his body almost in two pieces.
The King stepped forward, forgetting his guards. "Why do you come here?"
Link held his sword up, pointing it at the King. "I come for the people of Hyrule!"
The Poes charged. The soldiers panicked and fought back, but it was impossible. All around became mayhem.
But the King stood at the center of it, completely untouched. His eyes were locked on the blade that slowly approached. "You wield the Master Sword?! But that's not possible!"
Link stopped before the King. The Poes gathered, their job finished, but did not intervene. Link brought the sword forward and slid it cleanly into the King's gullet. "Your reign is over."
The King let it happen. There was nothing he could do. The Master Sword was in the hands of the evil-doers. Nothing could stop the destruction of Hyrule now.
As the blade withdrew from the king's body, a black light poured out from the wound. The King screamed as the darkness enveloped him. It spread over his body, seeming to draw in the light and creating an area of nothingness.
The darkness shattered, and where the King had stood moments ago stood Ganondorf. Link and the Poes all kneeled before their new king. He looked at Link. He should have thought of this centuries ago.
Lightning pierced the sky. And like a wave, darkness spread outward from the castle.
"Hyrule is MINE!!"