Unexpected
I don't own Legend of Zelda!! I don't plan on making any money from this! So there!
Link and Midna stared at the large, dark arch that was the entrance the Hyrule castle throne room. Link's heart was pounding already, and he hadn't even seen this "Ganondorf" yet. Still, his anxiety levels were shooting through the roof. Midna casually leaned her elbow on his shoulder and looked at him with her one visible eye.
"Quite the place, huh, Link?" she said. Link turned to face her. She just stared at him with hints of a smirk tugging at her features. She saw the worry in his eyes and the smile vanished. "Oh, come on! What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could lose and Hyrule will fall into the hands of a madman. The princess would most likely die and the citizens would be forced in slavery or they would just have to serve this Hitler-like tyrant for the rest of their lives," Link said miserably.
"Well when you put it that way…" Midna mumbled, turning her gaze to the ground. A look of shock came across Link's face. Midna looked back at him and laughed. "Link, calm down. I'm kidding. You know I have full confidence in you. This will be a piece of cake," she said reassuringly.
"You don't know that! My whole country is depending on me to get rid of this guy! This could very well be the last thing I ever do!" Link screamed into the sky.
"You're just setting yourself up to lose if you keep talking like that." Midna crossed her arms in front of her.
"Well, think about this for a minute: We aren't really sure how long this guy has been around or how long he has been watching us. He could know all our tricks and yet we still know nothing about him!"
"So?"
"So…We have nothing to surprise him with! We may as well just go home now before I get us both killed," Link said solemnly.
Midna was shocked at first, but quickly regained herself and levitated up to him. The two of them just stared at each other for a while, and then Midna brought back her hand and smacked Link across the face. Link recoiled in alarm rather than pain. He finally looked up at her with rage in his eyes.
"What the heck did you do that for?!" He screamed at her.
"Because you are acting like such a baby! Look at yourself, you've taken on countless monsters that are 40 times this guy's size and come out on top. And think about it, some of the biggest things you fought you killed with a cheap little stick made of steel!" Midna screamed back.
"So, what's your point?"
"My point? My point is that the big hunk of metal strapped to your back is more than just a glorified can opener! And you are going to go in there and you are going to fight this guy. You are going to kick his ass, rescue the princess, and then have your happy little ending! You got that?!" she yelled.
Link just stared at her with a stunned look on his face for a minute, then nodded. Midna smiled and disappeared into his shadow. Link stood there for a moment more and put his hand to his cheek. It was still stinging slightly.
Man, she can hit hard, Link thought to himself.
"Come on, Hero. Quit stalling and go kill that guy. Let's go," he heard Midna call from his shadow. Link stared straight ahead, took a deep breath, then reluctantly stepped into the dark chamber.
It was unnaturally dark inside the throne room. All the torches were put out and the dark clouds outside prevented any sunlight from making its way in. Link was walking alone down a velvet carpet in the center of the room. His pace slowed as he became aware of someone else's presence in the room. The silence was starting to get to him, and he was somewhat relieved when Midna appeared out of his shadow.
"Do you feel that too?" she asked. Link nodded while scanning his blue eyes across the room. "I don't recognize it, do you think that…" she stopped. Link looked at his partner. She was staring at something in pure horror. Link followed her gaze upward until he saw a person inside the enormous Triforce sculpture above them. He recognized the person as Zelda.
Link gasped. He drew his sword and made an attempt to run to her, however, Midna raised her arm to the side to stop him. He was confused for a minute, but he soon realized what she was doing. At the top of the stairs, sitting on the throne was a man. He had flaming red hair, greenish colored skin and was holding a long sword in his hand.
"Welcome to my castle," he said smoothly.
"So you're… Ganondorf," Midna stuttered. Ganondorf chuckled deep in his throat and stood up. He grinned at the duo and nodded. "I've been dying to meet you," she said, grinning widely.
Ganondorf began talking about how he was pleased with how the anguish of Midna's people had brought him back to life; Link hardly paid any attention though. His mind was fixed on trying to find a way to get the Princess out of here and to safety. He was called out of his thoughts when he heard Midna speaking.
"But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim, I will risk everything to deny you!" she said bluntly. Link looked at her in confusion. How much of Ganon's speech had he missed? Link turned his attention back to Ganon as he continued.
"Shadow has been moved by light, it seems. How amusing," Ganondorf sounded like he was talking to himself. "Very well, deny me then," he added, little bits of Twilight magic emanating from his body. "Yes, try to deny me, you and your little friend!"
Ganondorf extended his arm above his head and paused. Midna gasped as she realized what he was about to do. She left her spot next to Link and flew up in front of Zelda's unconscious form and waited for the worst.
As she predicted, Ganon's form dissolved into a swirling mass of Twilight energy and zoomed up to face her. Midna kept her hands spread protectively in front of the Princess as she waited. There was a bright light and Midna had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, the swarm of energy that was Ganondorf was nowhere to be found.
Midna panicked. She whirled around to face Zelda. She sensed that nothing was wrong and looked down at Link. He was rapidly looking around for any sign of their enemy. He finally gave up and looked up at her as well.
"Do you see him anywhere?" Midna called. Link just shook his head, making a confused gesture. Midna looked around the spacious chamber one more time. She was starting to get anxious. She sighed and looked back down at Link.
Her face was instantly filled with alarm. Directly behind Link was a tiny portal. She could see the form of a man emerging from it. She left Zelda's side and began to rush down to Link.
"Link, look out! Behind you! Run!!" she screamed. Link spun around and his eyes met Ganondorf's enormous figure. Link took a step back to try and get a full view of the man in front of him. He was now painfully aware of how large this man was. He was easily about one foot-and-a-half taller than he was. Link knew that now was a good time to panic.
Link turned and tried to run, but Ganondorf simply reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his tunic. Link, in his panic, followed his instincts. He screamed and turned his body to the right, swinging his sword as he spun. Link managed to knick Ganon's side and cut a hole in the fabric between his armor. A little bit of blood could be seen through the hole in the material, but the hit wasn't nearly enough to be fatal. Ganondorf merely laughed and smacked Link's sword out of his hand, sending it sliding across the floor.
Link was now unarmed. His mind was sent into a whirling panic and he tried to pry himself free from Ganon's grasp. Ganon laughed again and spun Link around so that the Hero's back was facing him. Ganondorf moved his hands to Link's upper arms and slid them down the length of Link's arms to his wrists. Bindings of black magic appeared around Link's torso, pinning his arms to his sides.
Link struggled wildly against his restraints, but they wouldn't budge. The darkness of the ropes was hurting him, the way light used to be deadly to Midna. He could hear Ganon laughing behind him. This enraged him and he fought harder against the ropes. He was about to give up when Ganondorf grabbed him. He wrapped one of his arms around Link's middle and pulled him close to his massive chest. Link gasped and watched as Ganondorf put his free hand out in front of him. More black magic began to swirl around his hand and condensed into a sinister looking dagger.
Midna, who had been trying to get back to Link, stopped dead as Ganon raised the scarlet blade of the dagger to the Hero's neck. She could see sweat running down the side of Link's face. He was scared out of his wits. She glared at Ganondorf and started to scream.
"You let him go right now!" Midna shouted.
"And why should I?" Ganon teased.
"If you don't, I'll kill you," Midna replied darkly. She summoned a ball of dark energy in her hands, punctuating her sentence. Ganondorf laughed whole-heartedly and tightened his hold on the young hero.
"Is that so? Well, I'll give full points for protectiveness. You must really like this boy," Ganon said almost playfully, "However; I wouldn't test me if I were you. I can make this boy feel pain like no other. That said, are you sure that you want to risk his well being? I had no intention of killing him in the first place, but if you push me too far, I would have absolutely no problem with it," he added, pressing the blade harder into Link's neck.
Midna kept the ball of energy in her hands as she thought over what he had said. She glanced at Link, so helpless in Ganon's arms. He had his eyes shut tightly as if trying to get this whole thing to go away. The knife was beginning to slice through his skin, causing a small amount of scarlet blood to slide down his neck.
Midna could feel her will power beginning to wear down. The last thing she wanted was for Ganondorf to hurt Link. She cared too much about him to let that happen. She tried to smile and make it seem like this wasn't fazing her.
"If you weren't planning on killing him, just what did you intend on doing with him?" she asked. "It just doesn't strike me as practical to not kill your sworn enemy when he is so helpless."
"Well, the number one reason why I didn't really think of killing him was because he has far too many doors that are open to him. It would be a shame to destroy someone with that kind of potential. Secondly, it's always the people like him that make the perfect bait," Ganon said matter-of-factly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that with him at my disposal, I could get just about anyone to come into my presence. Even the most stubborn of Hylians," Ganon pointed out.
He's right. He could do just about anything as long as he has control over Link, thought Midna. Ganondorf's face twisted into a sneer. He removed his arm from Link's torso and moved the knife away from his neck. Link let out a loud sigh of relief as the ropes around him loosened and disappeared.
Link ended up bringing it back in when he gasped. Ganondorf had roughly grabbed his right arm and threw Link behind him with all his might. He was caught by two darknuts that suddenly appeared behind him, each of them tightly gripping one of his arms.
Midna gasped along with him and the energy in her hands vanished. She made a futile attempt to run to Link only to be grabbed by her helmet and flung onto the floor. The impact knocked the wind out of her and she lay unmoving on the floor for a while. When Ganon was satisfied that she wasn't making an attempt to move, he turned to Link and grinned.
"Take him to my chambers and bind him," Ganondorf told the darknuts.
"What?!" Link screamed. He began to struggle wildly against the creatures holding him back. They didn't seem to mind at all as they began to drag him out of the room. Link heard Midna whisper something to try to get them to leave him alone. Link called out to her one last time before the door was closed and he cold no longer see her.
Link struggled more frantically to get away from them and back to Midna. However, the darknuts were as adamant as ever. They dragged him through the dark halls until they came to a large wooden door. One of them unlocked it and led the little group inside. The room was large and spacious, lined with grand windows and artifacts. The curtains as well and the sheets on the bed were red with black designs following intricate patterns all the way up them. The walls and tile were the same pale cream color and a door leading to what most likely was a bathroom was off to the left. There was a huge desk off on the other side of the room, next to an enormous fireplace.
Link was brought out of his examination when the darknuts started moving again. They dragged him to the bed and forced him down. Link was shaking as the creatures bound his wrists to the headboard and each of his ankles to one of the posts. Finally, they gagged him and left the room, blowing out the torches as they left.
Link was left in complete darkness. He tugged on the bindings to see how secure they were. Unfortunately for him, they were tied very well. He shifted his weight to get into a more comfortable position as he stared at the dark canopy above him. He didn't know what Ganon was planning, but he was sure he didn't like the way things were going so far. He tried breathing deeply to settle his nerves, but ended falling into a dreamless sleep.
Midna stared hopelessly at Link being dragged away. A single tear slid down her face as the door slammed shut. She had not been able to protect him. She started to cry and looked down at the floor.
Ganondorf began laughing at her. His laughter echoed throughout the chamber until it faded into silence. Midna scowled up at him with a hateful look in her one visible eye. She screamed and lunged at him, transforming into her giant beast form in the process. She grabbed him with one of her seven arms and began to squeeze. Ganondorf didn't grunt or scream; he smiled and started laughing again. He began to glow with a purplish color and started to yell as the power built up.
Midna was starting to have trouble containing him. The power radiating off of him was getting to be too much. She tried to sustain her grip on him, but it wasn't enough. Ganondorf let out a surge of powerful magic, knocking Midna's enormous form backwards and into a wall. The impact split the Fused Shadows into four pieces again and Midna shrunk back to her impish form.
Ganondorf laughed and strolled triumphantly up to her. She glared up at him again, her breathing ragged. He bent down and knelt next to her, lifting her chin so he could look at her.
"That sure was something to look at," Ganon said tauntingly. Midna just stared at him. "It sure is a shame that I can't keep you around. Your powers could have come in handy later," he added as he started to stroke her cheek.
"Get away from me!" Midna hissed. She stood up and backed away from him. Ganondorf's eyes followed her calmly. He smirked and leaned his arm on his propped up knee.
"You know, I can take the curse that Zant cast on you away. All you have to do is stay out of my way. You can even stay in the castle with the young Hero as long as you abide by my rules," Ganon said evenly. Midna's face changed a little when he said this. Ganon smirked and waited.
"So you're saying that all I have to do is stay out of your way and I can stay with Link and you won't hurt him?" Midna asked.
"That's not what I said. I said that you could stay in the castle with him as long as you don't get in my way. I never said I wouldn't hurt him. That boy has caused me so much grief, it just doesn't seem fair to let that go unpunished," Ganondorf replied.
"Do I have another option? An option that doesn't involve Link getting hurt?" Midna asked cautiously.
"Well," Ganon started, "I guess I could take the curse off you and send you back to your realm. That way you could live amongst your people and it may benefit Link to some degree."
"What degree?"
"He wouldn't go pain free, but it could be considerably less than I had intended." Midna thought for a moment. She didn't want Link to get hurt, but she wanted to stay with him. Finally, she realized that she had no choice.
"If you promise not to hurt him and leave me some way to communicate with him, then I choose to go back to the Twilight Realm," she said slowly.
"Wise decision," Ganon whispered.
"Can I say goodbye to him first?" Midna asked, her eyes tearing up. Ganondorf looked at her with an annoyed look, then gave her a stern nod. Midna darted to the door, only stopping to grab Link's sword on her way out.
Once she was gone, Ganondorf stood up. He chuckled deep in his throat and walked toward the door after her. No matter what he said to Midna, he was going to have fun with her little hero.
Midna followed Link's presence through the halls of the castle. She finally came to a door where she could feel his energy on the other side. She shoved it open and moved into the dark room. All the torches were out, but she could hear someone in the room. They were breathing slowly and calmly, as if they were asleep. She levitated further into the room toward the bed. There was a faint outline of someone sleeping on the bed. When she was close enough, she was able to recognize that it was Link.
She nearly gasped out loud when she saw him. His wrists were turning blue where the ropes cut off the circulation and were bound to the headboard. His feet were rendered immobile by shackles connected to the bed posts. How he fell asleep in this position was beyond her. He did look adorable when he was sleeping, though.
Midna pushed aside all thoughts and floated up next to him. She set the sword down on the floor and sat on the bed. She reached out and gently cupped his face, the face she had grown to love over the time that they had together. She stroked his cheek as a tear fell from her eye.
Link stirred to her touch and opened his eyes. He looked around for a minute before meeting Midna's eye. She smiled at him gently and moved his hair out of his eyes. Link couldn't say anything even if he wanted to. He simply closed his eyes again and turned his head away, too ashamed to look at her.
Midna sighed and turned his face to her again. She removed the gag and smiled again. This time, he smiled back at her. Midna continued to stroke his face and leaned in. She closed her eyes and planted a kiss on his lips. Link's eyes went wide for a moment, but he soon closed them and kissed her back. Her hands wandered over his face, through his hair and down the sides of his neck. Link wished that he could reach for her and hold her close, but his binds prevented it. Finally, she pulled back and gazed at him lovingly.
"What was that for?" Link asked.
"Think of it as a bit of a goodbye," Midna replied. Link's look of happiness disappeared and was replaced by one of shock. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
"What? A goodbye? What do you mean?" he asked urgently. Midna sighed.
"I don't want to leave, but I have no choice. This is the only way that I can even come close to protecting you. I need you to understand that," she whispered.
Link stared at her, lost for words. She couldn't be serious. She was just going to leave him here? After all that they had been through, she was just going to leave him?!
"Link, don't look at me like that. Ganondorf said that if I left he wouldn't hurt you as bad. From what I can guess he was going to do to you before, I find that a good thing," Midna added.
"I can't believe you! You told me that no matter what, you would always be by my side. You lied to me!" Link yelled, "Does what I've done for you mean nothing anymore?"
"No! That's not it. I just don't want you to get hurt. You know I care about you," Midna retorted. She couldn't take seeing Link tied up any longer. She used her magic to release him helped him sit up. He glanced at her then looked away, rubbing his wrists.
"I just don't get it Midna. You said he would only hurt me less. That doesn't mean he will leave me alone. I would much rather go through a hell of torture and have you here than to be spared from a great deal of pain without you."
"I would rather stay with you too, but…" Midna began, but Link cut her off.
"Then why don't you stay!? I can't bear this without you."
"I…I love you. If I was able to spare you even a small amount of pain, then it will be well worth it. I know that it may not make any sense now, but I don't think that I could stay knowing what he was doing to you. It will make this easier on both of us if I leave," Midna said softly.
Link sighed and crossed his legs on the bed. His eyes were blank and didn't say anything. He supported his body on his knees, breathing quietly. Midna couldn't take the silence. She lunged forward and tackled him, knocking him back onto the crimson covers on the bed. They lay there staring at each other. Neither speaking or blinking. Just staring.
They both jumped when someone laughed in the corner of the room. Midna growled as she turned to see Ganondorf in the door. He was wearing a large smile on his face. He was leaning against the door, supporting his weight with his shoulder.
"How touching," he sneered. Midna growled again, but neither of them moved. "Ah, this has to be the greatest tragedy I have ever heard of. The hero and his little sidekick come all this way to defeat the King of Evil only to be stopped when they were so close. Now with the Hero in the clutches of the King, he is to be tortured and abused while his sidekick, whom he trusted with all his might, is leaving him. That is such a heartfelt story."
Link and Midna sat up, their eyes never leaving Ganondorf's body. Link was glaring at him, trying to keep his face neutral. Midna was just glaring, her hatred filling her one visible eye.
"I really should write this down somewhere. This is just too precious," Ganon added. Midna pulled herself off of Link and looked Ganon straight in the eye. Her hatred was starting to boil over. She floated over to Ganon, stared at him for a moment, and then stared at the floor. A defeated look comes across her face and she breaks down. Tears begin to stream down her face, but she finally finds her voice.
"I'm ready to leave," she whispers. Ganondorf smiles and glances at Link still sitting on the bed. He looks heartbroken and vulnerable. Tears are beginning to well up in his cerulean eyes, and Ganon gets an idea.
Ganondorf grabs Midna by the throat and hoists her up above his head. She gasps for air in his hand, trying to pry his fingers away from her neck. Ganondorf laughs wholeheartedly as Midna struggles to free herself.
Ganon's laugh echoes in Link's ears as he jumps off the bed. His eyes are blazing with hatred and distain. He runs at Ganon, completely forgetting about his sword. The only thing he cared about was getting to Midna.
Ganondorf's laugh grew louder as Link approached. He swung out with his free hand, catching Link across the face. Link was sent flying across the room and smashed head on into the bedside table. He cried out in pain then laid still. Ganondorf gave a final squeeze to Midna's neck before dropping her, gasping, onto the floor. He walked over to Link's unconscious form and smirked. Scooping the boy up in his arms, he started to make his way for the door.
Ganon stopped with his hand on the knob and turned to see Midna looking at him, sobbing. Ganondorf turned his back to her again and smiled deviously.
"Are you coming, or what?" he asked evenly.
"What?" Midna asked him, puzzled.
"Are you coming with me or not?" Ganon asked again.
Midna thought for a moment then nodded. She got up and followed Ganon out of the room. She floated silently behind the man carrying her love through several halls and passageways. She occasionally glanced up from the floor and looked at Link. He looked so peaceful, but the person holding him made her sick. She wished so much to yank him from Ganon's arms and run far away from here, but she couldn't do that. Not only would that put him in danger, but all the people he knew would be in jeopardy. She couldn't do anything for now.
Ganondorf led Midna through the halls of the huge castle. His steps created a thud that echoed off the walls like someone was banging a hammer on the outside walls. Link was still unconscious in the Ganon's arms. He had a gash on his head that was bleeding profusely. Midna was worried that he was going to be dead from blood loss by the time they got to wherever they were going. However, Ganon didn't seem to care.
The small party finally came to a halt in a tiny white room filled with beds. A dainty Gerudo woman came forward and curtsied. She had reddish brown hair that was pulled back into a long braid that ran down the length of her back. She smiled sweetly at Ganondorf when he entered the room, her eyes lighting up when she saw Link. Midna already knew she didn't like this girl.
"Good evening, Master," she said. Her voice was soft, but rugged. It sounded as if she had an accent as well. It was the same deep, throaty accent that Ganondorf had when he spoke.
"Good evening, Kiya," Ganon said back. His tone was gentle and soft. It wasn't anything like the way that he talked to Midna or Link. It was a kinder tone, if that was even possible for the King of Evil.
"What can I do for you?" Kiya asked.
"I want you to look after this boy until I return. Tend to his wounds and give him anything he asks for except for permission to leave this room. I have some business to go over with the Twilight Princess here," Ganon replied. Kiya's eyes lit up again and she smiled at the male Gerudo. Her gaze fell on Midna and her face twisted into a harsh sneer.
I really don't like this girl. She looks like she's up to no good, Midna thought.
"You can just set him on this bed right here," Kiya continued, "I will take care of him until you get back, Master Ganondorf."
"Good. I shouldn't be long," Ganon said before leading Midna out of the room.
Kiya glanced at the boy on the bed. He was beautiful. His pale skin contrasting with the gold in his hair. She had plans for him, but Ganondorf would be furious if she tried anything now. Her desires would have to wait. For now, she set to work on bandaging up the wounds around his head. She would get her chance.
Ganon was walking again, at a faster pace this time. He was wearing a smile on his face that Midna knew she didn't like. There was just something about the Gerudos that struck her as wrong. Something that gave you an achy feeling in the pit of your stomach every time you caught one looking at you. Ganondorf was no exception. In fact, when you looked at Ganon, that pit in your stomach turned into a deep trench that gorged your insides like a horrific scar.
Midna's mind wandered in circles as they walked. She was so enwrapped in her thoughts; she didn't notice Ganondorf stop in the hall. She rammed into his back before she could stop herself. The large man turned to face her with that despicable grin scarring his face. The way he spoke made Midna think of a child winning a challenging game.
"Now that you have had your little moment, I assume you are ready to leave?" Ganondorf asked.
"You hardly gave me any time with him, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Midna said coldly. Ganon smirked again. He waved his hand in front of her, his Triforce glowing brightly. Midna felt the darkness around her body being lifted. She took in a deep breath as if she hadn't done so in years. The light became so intense; she had to tightly shut her eyes. The feeling of relief finally died.
Midna opened her eyes to see Ganondorf holding her helmet. She glanced at her hands. They weren't the small imp hands she was used to seeing. They were the slender, elegant hands that she had known before all these events had happened. She was wearing the dress that she was wearing when Zant had attacked her. Her long hair was piled on her head in the elegant headdress that dignified her as leader of the Twili. At last, she looked like what she had wanted Link to see for so long. She was Midna, the Twilight Princess.
"You seem pleased," Ganon commented on her expression.
"I am. I just wish that Link could have seen the real me and not what Zant had made me. He deserves so much more than I was or could ever be," she replied quietly.
"That is quite a touching speech, my princess. Are you ready to leave?" Ganondorf said impatiently.
"Yes, almost. I have just one more thing to do. I give you my word that I won't run. I will be right back," she said quickly. Midna closed her eyes and vanished on the spot. Ganon was alone in the hall, waiting for her to get back. He didn't bother going after her. It was pretty obvious where she was planning on going.
Midna reappeared in front of the door that she had last left Link in. Her blood pressure was going through the roof as she stared at the huge wooden doors that separated her from her love. Midna's hand finally found its way to the knob. She pushed the door open and her jaw fell to the floor.
Lying on the bed next to Link was that Gerudo girl that she had seen earlier. Kiya had let her hair down so that it ran off her shoulders in sleek red waves and off the side of the bed almost to the floor. Her chocolate brown eyes were staring lovingly at the unconscious boy at her side. She was gently stroking the side of his face with one hand while letting the fingers of her other hand toy with his pointed ears, occasionally slipping the tip of her finger through his blue earrings.
"GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF OF HIM!!" Midna cried. Her eyes were blazing. She clenched her fists so tight, that her fingernails were digging into her skin. She wasn't going to let some love-deprived whore get away with treating her beautiful Link like this.
Kiya was startled when Midna had cried out. She hadn't even noticed that the princess was there. Kiya smiled at Midna and giggled. Lord Ganondorf had been right. It was fun to see her get all worked up over the Hero. Midna was furious. Her face was twisted with loathing and she looked ready to hurl something heavy at the bed. Kiya even noticed the blue marks lining her arms and legs glowing brightly against the dark portions of her skin. Kiya giggled again and looked the enraged princess in the eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I hadn't realized that this one had been claimed," Kiya taunted, gesturing to Link. An evil smile crossed her face. Midna was getting angrier by the second. One could feel the fury radiating off of her. Midna took a step toward Kiya, making the Gerudo girl's smile broaden.
"Touch him again and I will rip you apart," Midna hissed. Kiya laughed wholeheartedly as if she had heard the greatest joke of her life. Suddenly, the laughing stopped.
"Why should you worry about what I do to him? It's not like he cared for you. Why should you care about him?" Kiya continued. As she spoke, she moved her hands over Link's chest and arms. Gradually, she moved closer and closer to him, finally moving on top of him. She had her knees on either side of his hips, straddling him. Kiya took her eyes off the stunned princess and leaned her body forward. She closed her eyes and touched her lips to his. Again, she ran her hands across his face as she massaged Link's soft lips with her own.
Midna gasped. She flung herself at Kiya. The two of them tumbled across the floor in a fit of kicking, screaming, and scratching. Midna eventually got the upper hand and managed to pin Kiya down. She laughed as Kiya struggled under her. Kiya stopped moving and looked up at Midna with a worried look on her face.
"Get off of me!" she demanded.
"I don't think that's in my best interest after witnessing what you were just doing," Midna growled.
"I wasn't doing anything! You just came in at the wrong time," Kiya hissed back.
"Exactly. Which is why I have to get rid of you now."
"What!? You're going to kill me?!"
"Of course not. It's far too messy. I was thinking of sending you down to the dungeons until someone found you at a later date. That would be fun, right?" Midna said menacingly.
"You wouldn't dare! You don't have the right!" Kiya yelled.
"Oh, yes I do. And you want to know why?" Midna whispered. She leaned down close to Kiya's ear, "I won."
Kiya gasped in shock. She was staring at Midna pleadingly as the princess brought her hand up and snapped her fingers. Kiya's cry was cut short when she vanished on the spot. After she was gone, Midna stood and glanced at the bed that Link was still sleeping peacefully upon. She took a couple quiet steps toward him, careful not to make too much noise. However, it seemed she made some after all, because Link woke up.
His beautiful eyes were clouded as he tried to sit up. He groaned with a hand on the bandaged portion of his head while he looked around. His gaze finally found Midna and he was stunned. His breath came in short gasps as he stared at her.
"W-who are you?" he asked. Midna smiled softly and took another step forward. Link cringed away from her with fear in his eyes. Midna's expression softened before she spoke.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you," she said. She took yet another step until she was standing next to his bed. She placed her hand on his to hopefully make him trust her. He seemed to relax a bit, and Midna spoke again, "Here, why don't you let me take those bandages off?"
"Who are you?" Link asked again. Midna frowned at the floor. She didn't know how to tell him.
"You know who I am, Link," she said.
"No, I don't," he persisted.
"Yes, you do. I'm the one who brought you here to save the princess of Hyrule and ended up getting you captured and promising to leave you to the King of Evil," she replied bluntly.
"But that was Midna. You don't look anything like her."
Midna paused, "You know that Midna is the true leader of the Twili, right?" she asked.
"Yes. I still don't know why she didn't tell me," Link replied.
"She didn't tell you because she thought that you wouldn't want her around anymore if you knew the truth. She was worried you would leave," Midna said, reaching up to undo the bandages around his head.
"She honestly thought that? I thought that she would know by now that I would never leave her, no matter what," Link said stunned.
"Yes, well… I think I would have preferred it if you just viewed me as me and not what I was expected to be."
"What do you mean? That makes no sense."
"Link, I'm the ruler of the Twili. I'm the Twilight Princess," Midna said.
Link was stunned. This woman didn't look anything like Midna. She had the same pale and dark skin, red-orange hair, and fiery eyes, but she was taller and extremely beautiful. She could pass for a princess, but she wasn't Midna.
"You're the Twilight Princess?" he asked questioningly, "Okay, you seem to know a lot about her and a lot about me. Tell me something that only she and I would know and I might believe you."
Midna smiled. "Oh, where to start?... Ah, I've got a good one: how about the time that we had run back to Kakariko to talk to Renado after we had gotten back from the sky temple place. You wanted to check up on the kids there and tell them goodbye in case you wouldn't come back. Ilia pulled you aside to talk and ended up pushing you against the wall and forcibly kissing you. She was not pleased when you pushed her off and ran out the door. The look on your faces was truly a sight to behold. Ha!"
Link had a light pink tint in his cheeks. His eyes were wide in amazement. He stuttered a little before being able to put a sentence together.
"H-how did you know that?" he asked.
"I was watching the whole thing from your shadow, that's how," she said bluntly. "Do you believe me now?"
Link smiled, "Yeah."
"Good, because you are going to need to trust me in order for me to get you out of here."
"Huh? I thought I wasn't allowed to leave."
"You aren't," Midna clarified, "But that doesn't mean that I'm going to leave you here. I have to get you out while I have the chance."
"But Ganon will kill you for that! And after that, he'll come after me," Link cried.
"I told you that I would look after you and stay by your side. That is exactly what I am going to do, whether I have to put myself in danger or not. And there is nothing you can do about it," Midna said and poked him on the nose. Link blushed but smiled.
Midna smile back at him, but it wasn't the same sweet smile that Link was giving her. This one was mischievous. It only seemed to get wider when Link started to show worry.
Midna wrapped her arms around his body and pulled him close to her. She kept one hand on his back while the other traveled up to the back on his head. She entwined her hand in his gold hair and moved closer. Midna grinned watching his eyes get bigger as she leaned farther in. She closed her eyes and kissed him. His breath hitched when her hand on his back began to move again. It explored his back while her tongue explored his mouth. Link was frozen. His hands refused to move. He simply succumbed to Midna, completely letting her take over.
Midna felt him relax in her arms and took that as a sign to let her know that she was now in complete control. She smirked against his lips and began to move her hands again. They wandered down his back, over his sides, and across his chest. The touch made heat rise in Link's cheeks and he unintentionally tried to pull away. Midna allowed him to pull away so she could breathe. But one look at him was all she needed to start wanting him all over again.
Midna placed her hands on his chest and pushed him down. He was lying flat on his back with Midna on top of him. She undid his belt and cast it aside, then started working her hands up under his shirt. Link moaned as her cool fingers ran across the skin of his chest. Finally, Link found the courage he needed to return what Midna was so clearly displaying. Wrapping his strong arms around her waist, he pulled Midna close. Her hands were still under his shirt, but he didn't care. He kissed her this time. He kissed her with more passion than he thought he was capable of showing. He showed her that he returned her feelings.
At last, Midna thought, At last, I know he loves me. I finally have the one thing that can make me happy in life.
Sadly, Midna had to break the kiss. She pulled away, looking down at him. There was disappointment showing in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Link, but we have to go while we still have the chance," Midna said softly.
Link sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
Midna stood up and handed Link his belt. He fastened it around his waist and looked at Midna so she could tell him what to do next. She nodded and began to walk to the door. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to face him.
"Link, I'm so sorry that you got caught up in all of this. This is all my fault," she said.
"Now what kind of talk is that? I don't blame you for any of this. I was chosen for this by the Goddesses. If they want me to fight Ganondorf and not someone who has any idea what they are doing, then that is their decision. Besides, I never would have met you if I wasn't chosen for this. And I think that was the greatest part of the entire quest," Link replied.
"You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that," Midna whispered. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Link and Midna were walking quietly through the halls. Link had gotten his sword back and was following Midna as quickly as he could without making noise. They were almost to the front door when a thought came to Link's mind. It suddenly hit him like a pile of bricks.
"Oh, crap!" he whispered urgently.
"Shhhh! What is it?!" Midna whispered back.
"Midna, we forgot about Zelda! She is still somewhere in the castle," he told her.
"You couldn't have thought of that while we were up on the top floor?!"
"I'm sorry. I was just so focused on not getting caught that I forgot about her."
Midna groaned with aggravation. "You are SO lucky you're cute, or I would smack you right now."
"Look, we have to go get her. She could die if we leave her here," Link insisted.
"Alright. I guess we'll just have to go back," Midna whispered.
"Well, this looks familiar, doesn't it?" Midna whispered. She was staring up at the large arched door to the throne room that they had started at. Link smiled and nodded. He reached up behind him and drew his sword.
"Let's go before we're discovered. The last thing I want to see is a re-run of how this went last time," Link whispered to her and walked into the darkness of the chamber. Midna followed, grabbing onto his right hand as she walked.
Link and Midna reached the throne in the back of the chamber. Taking a quick look around, Link turned to Midna.
"You go up there and get Zelda down. I'll wait here," he whispered.
"Not a chance. I'm not leaving you alone with that maniac, Ganondorf, on the loose," she replied, gripping tightly onto his hand.
"Then how do you propose we go about getting her down?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow. Midna opened her mouth to speak, but Link cut her off.
"You go ahead. I'll wait right here. I can take care of myself," he reassured her. Link gave Midna a quick kiss on her cheek and backed off a little bit. Midna sighed, but was smiling as she levitated up to face the princess in the sculpture again.
Link watched her as she went up, amazed by her power. He turned his attention back to the chamber around him. His blue eyes were scanning for Ganondorf. The room was empty. He glanced up at Midna again. She was still working with the princess. Link could see the small glyphs she was tracing in the air in front of her. He smiled.
Suddenly, he thought he heard the rush of fabric. His eyes darted frantically around the dark room searching for any sign of movement. Link was then pulled sharply to the side. A huge hand encompassed his mouth, prohibiting speech. He could feel moist breath against his tapered ear. A shiver ran down his spine as the voice spoke.
"Thought you could get away from me, huh?" it cooed. Link was frozen. "I'm glad that you came back here. You made my job so much easier."
Link tried to struggle. His right arm was held behind his back. His left hand was pressed tightly against a wall, making it impossible to move. He tried to turn his head to look at the man holding him, but to no avail. The hand that was covering his mouth held him still.
Instead, Link looked out in front of him, through the pillars. He could just see Midna. She had just landed back on the floor with Zelda in her arms. Now she was looking frantically around for Link. He could hear her hushed calls and he could see the frightened look on her face. Link tried to struggle free once more, but the large man behind him still had him pinned.
"I think we should go," Ganon's velvet voice soothed in his ear, "We have a lot to go over."
Link felt himself sinking into the floor. Looking around, he saw a portal below him, and it was pulling him in. In a last panicked resort, Link bit down on the hand covering his mouth. Ganon removed his hand for a moment, giving Link just enough time to scream out Midna's name. Ganon returned his hand to Link's mouth just as Midna came around the pillar. He smiled at her, as the last of his body, and the body of his prisoner, faded into the darkness. The Master Sword fell to the ground with a clang. Sparks flew up as the silver blade struck the ground, before fading into silence.
Midna fell to her knees in anguish, tears streaming from her eyes. She reached out and placed her hand over the place where Link had been standing moments ago. She remembered the look on his face right before his body faded away before her eyes. She cried out his name into the sky, the sound echoing off the stone walls.
Standing upright, Midna walked back to where she had set the princess. She placed her palm over Zelda's eyes and concentrated. She could feel the flow of magic circling in her veins. Pulling her hand back, Midna waited. Zelda slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Glancing around, her eyes finally found Midna's.
"Midna?" Zelda asked. "What is going on?"
"There's no time to explain, Zelda," Midna said sharply. "I need your help."
Link woke up in a dark room, the only light coming from a torch at the other end of the room. He tried to move his hands, finding that he was once again bound. His hands had been shackled to the wall. He was sitting on the floor, with his feet also in chains. He shook his head, trying to dull his pounding headache.
What happened? he thought. The last thing he could remember was waiting for Midna to get back and being pulled into the floor by Ganondorf.
Ganondorf! Link screamed at himself. Where could he be now?
Just then, Ganondorf came into the room. He had a box in his arms and a smile on his face. Setting the box down on a table, he turned to Link.
"Good, you're awake," Ganon said while he was walking over to face Link, "We are going to have some real fun now." Ganon knelt down and grabbed Link's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Now, you are going to sit quietly and let me do my little tests or the last thing you hear will be the dying screams of those princesses that you love so much."
Link's eyes narrowed. He jerked his head out of Ganondorf's grasp, glaring at the Dark King with every ounce of hate he had. However, behind his eyes, his fear was building.
Ganon smiled again. He pulled himself to his feet and walked back to the table where he had set the box. He was about to open it, when he paused. He turned back to Link with a puzzled look on his face. Walking back over, he looked Link over. He bent over, getting right in Link's face. Link tried to get as far away from the prying stare of the King of Evil as he could. He pressed his back in to wall, wishing he could sink into the floor to get away from Ganon's gaze. Ganondorf stood up straight, another smile crossing his lips.
"I've just realized something," he said. "What you're wearing will get in the way of what I was planning on doing. We'll have to fix that before we can continue."
Link's eyes widened. He watched, horrified, as Ganondorf raised his hand. Ganon snapped his fingers. Link suddenly felt the cold stone of the wall on his back. Looking down, Link saw that Ganondorf had removed all his clothing save for his white pants and boots. His head snapped back up to look at Ganon again. He was holding Link's recently stolen clothing out in front of him. He was turning his tunic over in his hands with a confused expression etched into his features.
"Why would you agree to wear this?" Ganon asked, "It feels like it would be so uncomfortable. Oh well, it's not like you had a choice."
Link growled in the back of his throat. Ganon tossed his clothing aside, opened the box, and smiled at the contents. He reached inside and pulled out a small dagger, several three inch long needles, a scroll, and a wine glass. Producing a honing stone from his pocket, Ganondorf proceeded to sharpen the edges of the dagger.
"Well, Link, as long as you are just sitting there, I think that I should tell you about what is going to happen here tonight," Ganon began, "Deep inside you dwells the Triforce of Courage, you knew that, right? Whether you did or not, I don't see how it really matters. The only thing that matters is that I have it before the night is over.
"What will happen is I will perform an ancient ritual that will allow me to take it from you. The only downside is that after I take it from you, the shock to your body might be enough to kill you," Ganondorf explained, finally finishing with the knife. He threw the honing stone into the box and set the dagger on the table. "I have full confidence that you will be able to withstand it, though. It certainly would be a shame to lose a pretty face such as yours."
Ganondorf stroked the side of Link's face with the exposed tips of his fingers. Link jerked away from his touch. Suddenly, a thought came to Link's memory.
"Wait, you told Midna that you didn't plan on killing me. Where does 'the shock to your body might kill you' come in?" Link asked.
"Well, I never planned on killing you with the sword or my own magic. If you don't survive the ritual, that isn't really my fault, now is it?"
"So, you told her that you wouldn't kill me to get her to leave and had this ready as a back-up plan? Not really true to your word, is it?"
"I've never been known to be true to my word. Why start now?"
"A change of how you play the game might just take some of the years off that ugly mug that you call a face," Link spat.
Ganondorf scowled at him. Standing up straight, he went over to the table. He unrolled the scroll on the table, exposing the symbols and pictures painted on the faded parchment. Ganon read it over quickly, occasionally glancing over at Link, as if to make sure that he was still there. Finally, Ganondorf stopped reading. He grabbed the small pile of needles and approached his prisoner.
"This will hurt less if you relax," Ganon said softly. Link tried to swallow the lump in his throat as the sharp ends came nearer to his skin. Link bit his bottom lip to keep himself quiet as the first needle was thrust harshly into his side.
In the end, Link ended up with a total of eight short needles sticking out of his skin. There were four in his sides, one in each arm, and one in each wrist, just below the metal cuff of the shackle. The dull pain was making him dizzy, making him wonder if the needles were tipped with something that made him feel like he was going to pass out.
After finishing with the needles, Ganondorf returned to the table and retrieved the dagger and the wine glass. He set the glass on the floor next to him and, using his now free hand, wrapped his fingers around Link's neck, holding him still while he worked with the dagger. Ganon was holding the knife like a pen when it came down on the skin of Link's chest. He pressed down with the dagger, cutting into Link's soft skin, and began to carve a symbol into his body.
Link was making noise now. He was screaming at the pain that was erupting in his chest. He tried to move to get away from the knife, only to be stilled by Ganon's fingers squeezing his neck. He made a short gagging sound when he tried to inhale. Ganondorf released his grip slightly allowing Link to get air in, but not enough so Link could move around and mess up the design that he was still drawing.
At last, Ganon took the knife away from Link's skin. He released Link's neck and stood back. Looking down, Link saw blood running down his torso, pooling around him and staining the white pants he was wearing. Under all the blood, Link could just make out what Ganon had carved into his skin.
The symbol was more of a picture. It had two dragons swirling around what looked like a young man, each dragon gripping onto one of the man's arms. Just below the picture, words had been cut into the skin around Link's navel. Link couldn't make out the words reading upside-down, but Ganondorf had picked up the wine glass and was placing the lip of the glass against his bleeding skin. The steady blood flow quickly filled the glass the point where it looked as if Ganondorf had a full glass of wine in his hand.
Standing up, Ganondorf left Link on the floor, bleeding, and walked back to the scroll spread out on the table. He dipped his finger into the glass, covering his index finger in red liquid. Pulling his finger back out, Ganon ran his finger over the parchment of the scroll, leaving a red streak across the surface of the pale paper. Smoke began to rise from the paper marked by blood, rising into the air and swirling into a shape that resembled a serpent. Ganondorf took a sip of the liquid in the glass and took a step back, away from the table.
Link watched in awe as the snake unwound itself in the air above Ganondorf's head. The snake turned its head as it looked around the room, its eyes resting on Link. Link felt his stomach doing back flips as the snake's gaze dug into his skin. It smoke serpent slithered over to him, its black tongue flicking out inches from his face. The snake seemed to smile as it observed him. It bent forward and touched its nose to the picture that Ganondorf had etched into his chest.
Blood cleared itself from the wound, leaving the picture clear and pronounced. The blood that had been cleaned from the wound was sucked into a ball floating in the air in front of Link. The blood ball extended thin tendrils out to wrap around the needles embedded in Link's skin. Once attached to all the needles, there was a sharp pulling motion, yanking the pins out with force enough to cause Link to cry out in pain.
The second Link opened his mouth to scream, the snake darted into his open mouth, down his throat, and into his body. Link's eyes widened and began to scream louder. The design that now adorned his chest began to burn with the heat of a fire. The pain from the needles and the new burning in his chest was tearing him apart from the inside, out. It was unbearable. Tears were streaming down his face while he thrashed against the shackles.
As quickly as the pain had begun, it ended. Opening his tear-filled eyes, Link nearly cried out in horror. Before him now were the two dragons that Ganon had drawn in the picture. Looking down at his chest again, Link saw that nothing of the picture that Ganon had drawn could be seen. His chest healed, he looked back up at the dragons, which had been joined by the smoke snake.
The snake wound its way up to the shackles binding Link's wrists. A loud cracking sound echoed through the room when the shackles snapped, releasing him. The dragons lunged. Each one gripped one of Link's arms, hoisted him to his feet, and brought him before Ganondorf. The snake began to wind itself around Link's now perfect torso, completing the position.
Ganondorf stared down at Link, smiling. Weak, tired, and covered in blood, it would be all too easy to take the Triforce from him now. He reached out to him, placing his hand on Link's chest. His Triforce of Power glowed brightly on the back of his hand. He started chanting in some language that Link couldn't understand. As the chant went on, Link began to feel light headed. The only thing that kept him up was the two dragons holding onto his forearms. Link was sure he was about to pass out when the snake moved again. It moved and touched its nose to his back. Link was sure he felt something snap after that. He yelled into the ceiling as the snake slowly removed its nose from his back, pulling a good deal of Link's strength with it.
Link's legs collapsed under him. He fell forward, the dragons releasing him as he fell. Ganon let the Hero fall at his feet, smiling. He then directed his attention to the snake, which now had something in its mouth. It was holding a golden triangle in its mouth.
"At last," Ganon said to himself, "The Triforce of Courage is mine!" He was reaching out to grab it when a flash of light whizzed past him, striking one of the two dragons, killing it. Ganondorf whirled around to face Zelda, holding her bow at the ready with another light arrow loaded and ready to fire.
Ganon disregarded her, quickly turning to grab the Triforce. He yelled when something struck him in the back. Turning again, he saw Midna, with spheres of dark energy in her hands. She hurled another one, striking the other dragon. It faded away into the darkness of the room.
"It's about time that you two got here!" Ganondorf yelled.
"Where is Link?" Midna said calmly.
"Why he's right here," Ganon said, gesturing to the floor.
Midna gasped at the sight. He was face down on the floor and covered in blood. His eyes were closed and she couldn't tell from there if he was breathing.
Ganondorf laughed at her. "You're too late, Princess! He may as well be dead! And good riddance!" Ganondorf taunted, lightly kicking Link in the side of the head.
Hot tears of rage fell from her eyes. She screamed at the top of her lungs, startling everyone in the room. She began throwing her energy spheres at the Dark King in rapid fire. After that, she made a massive ball of energy, about the size of the spheres of light that the light spirits possessed. She threw it at Ganondorf, sending him back into the wall.
The smoke snake, who had been waiting there the whole time, just watched Ganondorf fly through the wall, the Triforce piece still in his mouth. Midna came forward, snatched it from the snake, and killed it with one of the energy spheres. She looked at her hand. She could see the Triforce symbol on her hand. She was about to pick Link up and leave when a purple energy sphere struck her in the chest.
Midna was sent flying across the room, nearly hitting Zelda as she flew. Zelda helped Midna stand up and looked over at Ganondorf. He was casually dusting rubble and debris off of his armor.
"How dare you oppose, let alone attack, the Twilight Princess?!" Midna screeched.
"Oh, I dare," Ganondorf replied calmly. "You two can leave with your fallen Hero as soon as I have the Triforce."
"You're sick! How could you attack him? He's so young!" Midna yelled.
"It's simple, really. He had something that I wanted and I took it before he could learn to use it," Ganon said, crossing his arms. "And now I believe that you have it, Princess."
"Well, good luck getting it from me! I plan to use this to bring Link back!"
"You know, I'm right here. You don't need to yell," he said sarcastically.
"Shut up!! Before I leave with my friend and my love," Midna said, gesturing to Zelda and Link. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Okay," Ganon said in a challenging tone, "If it's a Triforce fight you want, it's a Triforce fight you'll get."
Ganondorf stepped over Link's body, crossing the room to Midna. She stood ready with a dark sphere in one hand and a Triforce energy sphere in the other. Ganon summoned his own magic weapons, facing the Princess with a sinister look gleaming in his amber eyes.
Midna began pacing around, looking for an opening in the King of Evil's defenses. She hurled her light sphere, hitting Ganondorf in the chest and sending him backwards again. Midna lunged at him while he was stunned; casting spells to hold him in place. She summoned a dagger to her hand, ready to kill him.
Ganondorf swung out with his hand, smacking Midna across the face. She retaliated, landing softly on her feet and darting toward him again. Ganondorf had broken free of her spells and was waiting for her to attack him. He caught Midna's arms, swung her whole body around, and threw her to the floor. Midna hit her head on the stone floor when he threw her, causing her to become dizzy.
Ganon walked triumphantly over to the Twilight Princess. He called a sword to his hand as he walked. He stood over her body, smirking.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," Ganondorf said, over dramatically. "So, here ends the great reign of Midna, the Twilight Princess. Or perhaps, not so great." Ganondorf raised his sword, getting into the stance for a downward thrust. He paused to let the moment sink in.
Midna began to cry. "I'm sorry, Link. I'm so very sorry. I couldn't protect you…" She closed her eyes and waited. And waited. And waited. When was he going to strike? Midna heard a gasp, a grunt, and the clang of metal against stone. She opened her eyes, looking up at Ganondorf. His eyes were wide, his sword was gone, and… there was a sword blade protruding from his chest?
Ganondorf slowly lowered his arms, which were still in the upward position for the thrust. Turning, Midna could see Link standing behind Ganondorf. He still looked shaky, but he was standing.
Midna was ready to scream in happiness at the sight of him. His hair was a mess and his lower body was still covered in blood, but his eyes were alive and full of anger. Ganondorf was staring at Link in disbelief. Link just smiled weakly at Ganondorf's shocked expression.
"But…how?" Ganon sputtered.
"You were right. I was strong enough to withstand the ritual. It just took a little longer than I expected for me to get up," Link replied, a smirk still plastered to his face.
"You can't be alive! That torture was enough to kill any man!"
"I guess that you've just learned the number one lesson when dealing with me, Ganny."
"And what would that be?" Zelda called.
Life left Ganondorf's eyes at that moment. He fell to the side with a thud. The impact made the ground shake under it. Link bent down and pulled his sword out of the body before replying.
"Don't mess with my friends!" Link said to the body.
Midna was standing now staring at him in disbelief. Link turned to her smiling that adorable smile that could melt even the coldest heart. She smiled back at him, happier than anything to see him alive.
Link's smile faded. He placed a hand to his forehead, swaying slightly. Midna rushed forward and caught him before he could fall. He thanked her as Zelda approached them. She was wearing a warm smile and she held out her hand. Opening her hand, she held out the Triforce of Power.
"I think that you deserve this, Link," she said softly.
Link stared at it. He didn't know what to say. Midna shook him lightly to get him to come back to earth.
"Go on, Link. Take it," she urged him.
"I can't," Link said finally.
"Why not?" Zelda asked.
"It's better in your hands. I wouldn't be able to control it. You keep it," Link told her, closing her hand over the sacred triangle.
"Well then, I guess I have to give this back to you," Midna said grasping Link's left hand in her own. She began to glow with a warm golden light. Link brought in a sharp inhale, feeling Midna transfer the Triforce of Courage back into his body. The light dimmed and Link felt a little better than before but not well enough to stand on his own.
"Is there anything that you need?" Zelda asked.
"Yeah, a bed. I'm tired," Link admitted.
"And a doctor," Midna added.
The three of them laughed and left the dark room, leaving Ganondorf's body deep in the basement of Hyrule castle. Link got his bed and treatment from a doctor. He was soon on his feet and acting like the person that Midna had fallen in love with. They all stayed in Hyrule castle as Zelda's main advisors and friends.
And so the prophesy was fulfilled.
Hero and outcast came together to save both worlds and the lives of countless civilians. May the Goddesses continue to bless us, even in these bountiful times.
Forever in peace,
Forever in love,
Forever in Hyrule.
~*The End*~
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