Chapter Four: She Returns

Link

Her face was gently lying on my shoulder, my arms wrapped around her. Her quite, even breathing was a relaxing sound. I smiled when she softly mumbled my name.

I could watch her sleep forever, but I heard the rest of the forest waking up around us. I sighed. We'll need to head to Kakariko soon.

She shivered in her light pink nightgown. I threw the thin blanket back over her.

"Katie, wake up." I breathed into her ear.

"I am awake." She replied softly.

I smiled and kissed her forehead. "How long have you been awake?"

"About five seconds. Thanks for the blanket." She said, turning her head to look at me.

"We needed to go to Kakariko, remember?" I asked her.

She frowned. "Yes, I remember. I was hoping you'd forget."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"I really, really don't want you to let me go right now. It's so comfortable." She said, blushing.

I laughed softly. "The feeling's mutual, darling." I pulled us up so that she was sitting on my lap. "But unfortunately, we need to go to Kakariko."

She giggled and hugged me. I felt a sharp pain in my head.

Link… come to the Temple of Time… Link!

Zelda? What's wrong? What happened?

Katie pulled away from me, her face concerned. "What's wrong, Link?"

Bring Katie with you. It is time.

What are you talking about Zelda?

"Link?" Katie asked, with her hand on my face.

I looked up at her. "We need to go to the Temple of Time." I told her.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked, frowning.

"Zelda just contacted me telepathically." I said as I pulled out my ocarina.

"Zelda?"

"The Princess of Hyrule, who's been missing for seven years."


When we arrived at the temple, it was not Zelda waiting for us.

"Hello Link, Katie." Sheik said.

I nodded. Katie made a frightened noise. I took her hand.

"Link, I have something I need to show you." He said.

He raised his right hand and pulled the sleeve away. There was the Triforce mark burned into his skin. With a blinding flash of light, he transformed into Zelda.

"Zelda?" I gasped out.

"Yes, Link. I'm sorry I've been lying to you." She shook her head sadly. "As for my behavior towards Katie, it was uncalled for. I've seen the error of my ways. Can you forgive me, Katie?"

I looked at Katie. Her eyes were huge with shock, her face paler than normal. Despite this, she managed a nod at the princess.

"Wonderful!" Zelda clapped her hands together. "Link, I need you to-"

The ground began shaking. Evil disembodied laughter sounded out.

"No! It cannot be!" Zelda cried.

I let go of Katie's hand and started towards Zelda. Suddenly, a pink gem appeared around her. I turned and saw that Katie was encased in a green gem.

"Foolish boy! I knew that if I let you run around, Zelda would reveal herself to me." Ganondorf's disgusting voice boomed. "In your haste to save them both, you've lost both!"

Zelda and Katie rose into the sky. "If you wish to save them, come to my castle." They disappeared out of sight just below the roof of the temple.

"Damnit!" I yelled at the ceiling, rushing out of the temple.


Katie

I was staring at a cold floor of stones. I heard maniacal laughter and swords clashing somewhere close by.

"Link, be careful!" Zelda's voice shouted out.

I bolted upright, my head throbbing. Link was fighting Ganondorf and winning. I watched in a mixture of amazement and horror as he slashed relentlessly at him, never giving him a chance to counter.

Ganondorf fell to his knees, coughing up blood. "Young hero, you have been foolish." He fell to the ground and spoke no more.

The ground began shaking again.

"Link, the tower's falling!" Zelda cried, motioning him towards the door.

Link sheathed his sword and ran to me. Not saying a word, he picked me up and bolted out the door, following Zelda. Zelda broke down barriers and killed monsters with her powerful magic.

We rushed out of the castle just as it fell, both Link and Zelda panting. Link threw a heroic smile at me. Zelda laughed in triumph.

"We did it Link! You defeated Ganondorf!" She spun in circles.

Link set me down and pointed at the crumbled remains behind us. "Don't speak to soon, Zelda." He warned.

Sure enough, a giant creature rose from the rubble. "Ganon." Link mumbled, drawing his sword.

He took a step forward. A giant ring of fire surrounded him and the beast. Zelda and I jumped back in fright.

"You thought you were strong enough to defeat ME?" Ganon challenged.

"No, I know I'm strong enough to defeat you, you cocky bastard." Link replied.

Ganon knocked the Master Sword out of Link's hand. "How about now, you insolent fool?" He asked.

Link withdrew an even bigger sword from his pack. "It's still pretty much the same, you insolent pig."

"OH BURN!" Navi yelled from behind Link. Zelda and I giggled.

Ganon furiously stabbed at Link with his sword. Link did a back flip and slashed Ganon's tail. They danced around the battlefield, Link remaining unharmed until Ganon slashed him across the chest.

I winced and saw Zelda do the same. Link staggered back. Before he could be injured again, he regained his composure and slashed at Ganon's tail. He howled in pain.

Link did a back flip and hit the tail again.

"That's his weak point, Link! Abuse it!" Navi shouted. I felt like smacking her. Link obviously knows that. Zelda hit her face with her hand, shaking her head.

After another hit from Link's Biggoron Sword, the fire surrounding them went out. Zelda looked at me.

Can you move objects by magic? She asked me telepathically.

I nodded.

Then move the Master Sword to Link's side.

I muttered the spell and pointed at the sword. It lifted off the ground and headed towards Link and Ganon.

"Link, your sword!" Zelda shouted.

I let the hilt hover a foot behind Link. He turned and grabbed it, throwing his Biggoron Sword at the same time. The Biggoron Sword hit Ganon's tail again. Link did a back flip and slashed at it one more time with the Master Sword.

Ganon staggered and fell to the ground. He let out a roar of anger.

Link staggered back, exhausted and weak. He caught himself, however, and plunged his sword into Ganon's heart. It emitted black smog.

The smog headed toward me, but neither Link nor Zelda saw it. They were both staring at Ganon with a look of sad triumph on their face.

I felt Ganon's evil seeping into me.


Link

Katie fell to the ground and began screaming. I ran to her and knelt beside her. I held her in my arms.

"Make it stop, Link!" She screamed, pleading with me.

I began rocking her back and forth in my arms, smoothing her hair with one hand. She kept screaming.

"Link! Link, please! Please help me!" She screamed.

Her words injected ice into my veins. I…can't…help…her. This is my fault. She's dying. For one agonizing moment, the world disappeared. All that existed was Katie's screams and my rage at myself for letting him hurt her like this.

She began to trash around in my arms. I stopped smoothing her hair and held her to me tightly with both arms. She stopped trashing, but continued screaming.

"Please… please! It hurts so much!" She began crying.

'Saria, I need you.' I sent a message to Saria telepathically.

'Yes, Link? What's wrong? I sense that Ganon is gone…' She replied.

'It's… Katie. Ganon did something to her. I think she's dying.'

'Try the first thing you think of. That usually works.'

"Shhh, Katie. It's okay, I'll make it stop." I told her in soothing whispers.

I bent my lips to hers and slowly kissed her, stifling her screams.


AN: Cliffhanger! I feel so bad for you guys, you have to wait a few days to find out what happens!

The ending scene of this chapter was written before most of the story. *shrug* It fits better here than where I first planned to put it.

Also, sorry for the short chapter. I couldn't find anything else to shove into it. X.X

Please review, I love y'alls opinion!