So, to start out, this story is a sequel to three existing stories, so if you haven't read those, (Buildup to The Civil War, The Civil War, and Rise of Caesus) you definitely need to read those, in order to understand everything in this story. You have been warned! This story is for mature audiences only, with language, dark themes, horrific scenes, and sexual content appearing throughout. I don't own any characters from Zelda.

This story was written with assistance from RaidenFarore. Check him out here: u/7434790/

Enjoy!

All hope has vanished from Hyrule. After the death of Link, Zelda's power ended, as she lost her connection to the Triforce. A group of beings from the Dark World appeared, in attempt to overtake Hyrule, and they succeeded. Hyrule castle was revamped, and turned into a fortress of hellish proportions, a stronghold for the beasts that ravaged the Hylian people. A Warlord from the Dark World, known as The The Destroyer, apprehended the Tyrant Caesus, his power stripped of him and used to wipe out the civilizations of Hyrule. Zelda went into hiding, as her people died around her, in an attempt to wait for hope to return.

After 20 years, hope was still nowhere to be seen.

Mindless hordes of undead Bokoblin kept the surface a dangerous, terrifying wasteland, unsafe for any survivors. Zelda had kept mostly underground, her small resistance hopeful that they would one day return Hyrule to it's former glory. But horrendous events kept this hope dim. The leaders of each province were hunted down and killed, the only remaining member being Darbus of the Gorons.

Yet Zelda remained hopeful.

Zelda breathed heavily, as she heard the footsteps above the hidden underground base she had traveled to, the crackling fire at her feet illuminating her aged face. She glanced across the fire, staring at her only ally, the last of the Gorons, the last of those who had felt the glow of the Triforce, Darbus, his aged and bearded face hopeful. They had planned this meeting for ages, in hopes to seeing a fleeting glimpse of the path forward.

"Should we wait?" She asked Darbus. He shook his head.

"The Beasts won't be leaving anytime soon." He said. He breathed heavily. "We must focus, your highness."

"Captain." She said. "I'm not longer a ruler."

"To me, you will always be royalty."

Zelda crossed her legs, and placed her hand on Darbus's, breathing slowly. Her hand remained unlit, the image of the Triforce dull. Darbus spoke quietly.

"O Goddesses, grant us the Wisdom of Nayru, the Courage of Farore, and the Power of Din to bring this world back from the brink." His eyes began to emit a faint glow, as Zelda's breath ceased, her hands glowing with warmth. She twitched, as she felt the power of the goddesses flow through her, her eyes glowing brightly as she screamed in pain, her body twitching as images flashed before her eyes.

An island, empty and lush.

A cave, deep and dark.

A cliff, narrow and grassy.

A man, cloaked and standing.

A tree, burning and dead.

A seed, small and frail.

A chair, dark and rusted.

A shard of glass, cracked and broken.

Zelda gasped as her body was flung across the poorly lit room, her body shaking. Darunia groaned, sitting up as his eyes adjusted.

"Was that-"

"It was what we needed..." She said, standing up. "I need to find what is left of the old Hyrule. There exists a seed, an elder Tree. The Great Deku Tree. He is what we need."

Zelda packed her bags, taking what food and water she could spare, as the sunlight began to creep into the windows of the broken shack that marked the entrance to her underground base. Darbus was waiting for her outside, and she was ready to join him.

"Are you sure about this? We haven't had an incident in months." Said a voice from behind her. She sighed.

"Yes, Mordu." She turned back to look at her old friend, his eye hidden behind an eye patch. "I'm sure."

"Well, I think you're risking too much. You haven't had visions in years, why trust this one?"

"I just do." She responded, grabbing her bow. Mordu walked towards her, the dusty floorboards beneath him creaking, as he stepped over the debris of the broken shack. He smiled at her. She smiled back, before turning to leave.

"What do you think they did with Link's body?" He asked, abruptly. She stopped, her breathing slowly.

"I don't know." She said. "I doubt they even found it."

"I bet they looked for it. The Hero of Twilight isn't something to forget about." He said. "Perhaps they got their power from-"

"Enough." She said, turning back to face him. "It hurts enough knowing I have to do this without him."

"You've survived 20 years without him. You'll do fine, Captain." He said. She breathed heavily.

"Goodbye, Mordu." She said, turning and walking out of the door.

"Ready, highness?" Darbus said, smiling as he looked below the cliff they lived on, the desert plains free of beasts, the morning sun keeping them at bay.

"Captain. And yes." She responded, smirking. They had a lengthy journey through the Gerudo desert, into what was left of Ordon. They were to travel as far as they could, and make camp at the mountains marking the beginning of Hyrule, before journeying again the next day.

Zelda trudged through the sand, Darbus right beside her, as she glanced up at the sun, her face dripping with beads of sweat.

"The sun is setting." She said, looking at Darbus. They had been traveling non stop for hours, determined to arrive at the Gerudo Mountains, but they had come up short, stuck in the dessert without shelter, as the sun went down.

"Aye." Darbus said, glancing around them. "We have no option other than to trudge forward, there's no shelter behind us. We must reach the mountain." Zelda nodded, wiping sweat from her brow.

"We have-" She stopped, her pointed ears perking up as she put her hand up, motioning for Darbus to be quiet. She heard it, the sound of steel sliding from a sheath.

"They're here." She said. She drew her bow back, an arrow in her hand as she looked around her, Darbus scowling.

"Come out, beasts!" He said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll make it quick."

They waited, their eyes glancing to each of the sand dunes around them, before Zelda's eye caught the reflection of an arrow, flying at her. Darbus stepped in front of her, the arrow shattering on his skin.

"SHOW YOURSELVES!" Darbus boomed, Zelda behind him, bow at the ready.

"Well...what do we have here?" Came a voice from a figure rising above the dunes. "A bitch and her dog, yeah?" Zelda rose her bow, pointing at the man. He was dressed in metallic armor, cracked and old, a crossbow in his hand. He was not Hylian nor monster, but a being from The Dark World, one of The Destroyer's minions of evil.

"Put your weapon down, or I'll kill you." Zelda said calmly.

"I don't think so, lady. I got better weapons than you, and uh...want what you got." He rose his crossbow at her. "Tell the dog to leave, or else you gonna die. I can lose a piece of ass, another one will come along soon enough."

Zelda chuckled. "Darbus?" She said, looking at him. Darbus smirked.

"Aye."

He slammed his fists down on the ground, sending a shock wave across the sand, to the man, his eyes wide. The force of the slam hit the man fully, sending his body flipping into the air, and landing on the ground. He reached for his bow, but Zelda had hers already raised, loosing the arrow, as it sank into the man's skull. For a moment, all was quiet, the only sound being the sand still falling back to the ground, as Zelda starred at the dead man, Darbus standing beside her, fists at the ready. Zelda sighed at last, breathing heavily, as her chest rose and fell.

"It's still not easy." Zelda said later, as she and Darbus sat around the fire they had made, admitting defeat and making a camp for the night. The sounds of the nighttime desert worried her, any shifting noises potentially being their demise.

"I know." He said. "It wasn't easy for me in the beginning either." He said. Zelda shook her head, poking a stick into the small fire.

"Not that." She said. "They're...so close to Hylian. It feels wrong to kill them. They come from The Dark World, where they are our opposites. A distant cousin almost."

"I had the same issue. But then..." Darbus said. His old eyes were filled with pain, and regret. "Then they arrived on the mountain." He said. "They were taken by surprise. Something that rarely happens to the Goron people." He said. "I was at the castle, if you remember, when the main assault on the mountain happened. The Destroyer was gone when I arrived, but the hordes of his soldiers were left. I had a moment of hesitation, and..." He said, moving his large finger to his face, a deep scar over his eye. "I didn't hesitate after that. Not with my brothers and sisters dead at my feet. I hope to one day meet The Destroyer. If I do..." His voice faded, as he looked into the desert.

"Yes?" Zelda asked him.

"I will tell him, that he took something of mine. And I intend to take something from him." He said, his voice shaking with rage. He sighed. "After..." He started, before stopping, looking solemnly into the fire.

"I understand, Darbus. I understand." She glanced into the night, her eyes watering. "More than you know."

Hello everyone! It feels great to be back, and this story means a great deal to me. I'm sure that the vast majority of readers haven't read the previous entries, but that's fine. This story serves as a final ending to the Saga that has spanned two years for me, as I started this in 2015. I'm extremely proud of this story. As for what comes next, well...lots. Zelda has this one hope, and will do anything to bring her people back, but obstacles await. Who is the mysterious Destroyer? What are his/her plans? What will Zelda do, now that Link is dead? Find out, in the next entry of The Legend of Zelda: The End of Legends!

-Darth Ganon