Hyrule was definitely a shell of its former self… a wasteland not fit for a normal person to survive on. Everything in the surrounding vicinity of the entry Link and Zelda used was essentially a vast desert in the once lush forests that would lead up and stay near the castle. Zelda, somewhat instinctively and somewhat out of care, held tightly onto Link, knowing the two of them had the largest challenge they had faced on their hands, a true test of their abilities.

As they neared Ganon's castle, a certain air of disparity and grief pervaded the landscape. It almost seemed as if the fortress omitted an actual fundamental difference to the land itself. However, Link and Zelda were not ones to be affected by the castle, at least not too greatly.

Upon first sight of it, Zelda nearly lost her ability to stay conscious, gasping, "Link, do you see what they've done to it?"

He held her to support her, saying, "I see, Princess. Let's get in there and change it then."

Somewhat helped by Link's heroic confidence, Zelda managed to regain her composure and nodded confidently in agreement with him.

Quickly they set off into the bleak stone behemoth waiting only a few feet in front of them, hoping to conquer it and return peace to the land. If they succeeded, all would be well, until Ganon returned; if they failed, darkness would forever rule Hyrule.

From the first room, the dark evil was almost like a toxic fume upon the two Hylians, as if very slowly it was sapping their strength and strengthening the power of the foes that they would encounter. Nonetheless, they continued through the empty first room.

In the second room, Link and Zelda finally faced a foe inside Ganon's castle: A giant stalfos. The bony foe easily was twenty times the height of Link and bore a devilish grin on its skull. Drawing its proportionately massive sword and shield, the foe showed it wouldn't be easy to defeat.

It took every bit of Link's expert swordsmanship to avoid death at the hands of this skeleton beast. When Link finally saw an opening for an attack, his sword attack did no damage whatsoever.

Realizing the situation did not look good, Link yelled to Zelda, "Zelda! Get out of here. I'll hold him off so you can get out of here. Save yourself."

Zelda merely shook her head and told her companion, "There's no way I'm letting you handle this on your own. We're in this together."

"Well then, can you help me in this fight?" he yelled, a bad reflexive movement away from defeat.

"Hmm…" she pondered, "a giant Stalfos. Well, let's see. Maybe…it might…hmm…could it…that's it. I've got it. Look out, Link."

Jumping out of the way of another sword attack from the Stalfos, Zelda fired a blast of magic at their foe. Upon impact, the spell started the Stalfos on fire, the first step towards defeating it.

"Now Link!" she yelled, telling the hero to attack their giant foe.

When Link struck the beast this time, he knew that he had started to do some significant damage to it, as the fire had started to weaken the strength the skeleton had. Quickly enough, the two of them had defeated their first obstacle in Ganon's castle.

Link turned to Zelda and said, "Hey Zelda; thanks. I couldn't have done it without you."

She smiled and told him, "No problem Link."

Then the two of them proceeded to the next rooms, continuing to work together against a number of foes, each demanding that Link and Zelda use their respective combat strengths properly and effectively. Eventually, they stood outside the final room: Ganon's chamber.

Before Link opened the door to Ganon's chamber, Zelda put her hand on his shoulder, saying to him, "No, not now Link. Not yet."

Link turned to her and with a confused expression on his face asked, "Why not, Zelda?"

"Link," she began, "I have something that I have to tell you."

"Well, what is it, Zelda?"

"I…I…that is…umm…how do I say this?"

Not realizing what she was trying to say, Link simply told her, "Just tell me. Don't worry about it."

"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered under her breath. "Link, if we don't make it out of here alive…"

Reassuringly, Link told her, "Zelda, don't be so negative. Ganon's hard to beat, but I know that we can do it together. But, I am sorry for interrupting you. Please go on, Princess."

"Link, I want you to know that I love you."

With a smile on his face, Link told her, "I love you too, Zelda. Albeit you were hard to handle at first, getting to know you has helped to explain why you act the way you do. Frankly, I wouldn't change you either way."

Zelda quickly embraced Link and gave him a kiss. For a few moments, the two of them just stood there, each in the other's arms.

Link broke the silence, saying, "All right. Are you ready to fight, Zelda?"

"Yes," she nodded confidently as Link opened the door to Ganon's chambers and the two stepped inside, ready to do whatever it would take.