Saria's Wish
By Dannondorf
"Blah" is talking. 'Blah' is thinking. The symbol 1111111111111111 means a transition in the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Zelda. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and not for profit.
Author's Notes: Hello! I'm back from a crazy hiatus with chapters ten and eleven, the final parts of the story, in tow. I'm deeply sorry for just letting this story hang when there were some people interested in it, but now I'm back and the story's finished. I hope you'll understand and won't hold this against me. But enough apologies. Here are the last two chapters of Saria's Wish. Enjoy!
Shout-outs: I feel a little awkward thanking people for their reviews half a year after the fact, so there aren't any shout-outs in this chapter. Well, actually, I'm going to give one last shout-out to OyOfMidworld, whom I didn't ask to beta-read these last two chapters because I thought it would be unfair to ask that after such a long hiatus. Thank you for sticking with me for so long and for your comments. They really helped!
Summary: Link/Saria. Link is pushing himself too hard, but he won't tell anyone why. The sages are concerned…enough to make a reluctant Saria spy on his thoughts and find out. Will she ever get him to open up about the horrors of his past? And just what is he training for, anyway?
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Chapter 10: "Enter Ganondorf"
Hyrule Field was breathtaking, even in the rain. Like an ocean of grass, it stretched out farther than anything Saria had ever seen. There was so much open space and so few obstacles that would keep someone from running around freely. The sky was equally open: no tall trees obstructed her view of it, unlike in the forest. She had had no idea that the sky, or even the world, was this large.
Way off in the distance, she could see through the rain what she knew from Link's stories was a castle, and to her it looked fit for a giant. To the far right of the castle was an even taller structure, most likely the land formation she had heard Link refer to as a "mountain."
Saria had never felt so small in her entire life. She had always thought she was small when she stood next to Link's grown-up body, but that was nothing compared to this. She felt as though the world might swallow her up if she wasn't careful.
Nevertheless, as incredible as it was for her to be in a new place, the scenery was not foremost on her mind right now: Link was.
Saria needed to find Link. She needed to tell him so many things. She needed to tell him how sorry she was, to beg him to come back to the forest with her. She was so focused on him that she didn't even care about Ganondorf's imminent return at the moment, nor did she care that she was risking her life by venturing outside the safe haven that was her home.
He was her best friend, but more than that, he was her life. She thought about all the time they had spent together, laughing, playing, crying…she thought about how happy she was when he was around her and how empty she felt when he was away.
Link had had such a dramatic effect on her life. Back when they were both the same size, he had been the only one in the village who was as energetic as her, and they had been inseparable. They both changed after that, but their bond only grew stronger, and now she couldn't imagine what she would do without him. She needed him in order to be happy, even if he hated her now after how what she had said. She needed him to be with her. Saria was determined to find him and make things right, and once she got him back, she was never going to let him go again.
Running, Saria abruptly realized that she gotten too far ahead of Dampe again. Reluctantly, she slowed to a stop and turned back to face him, waiting for him to catch up. She didn't like how slowly they were moving. It was taking every bit of self-restraint she had to keep from leaving him behind and running as quickly as she could. The size of this new world didn't matter to her: she could run across the whole darn thing if that's what it took to find her friend.
But she knew better. She did not know the way to Dampe's house, and since that was where Link's journal had said Link might be going, she had to wait patiently for Dampe to lead her there. Plus, if she strayed too far from him, the protective spell he had cast on her to keep her alive might wear off.
She was being unfair, she knew. Dampe was not the youngest of men, nor was he the fittest, but Saria could tell he was doing his best not to slow her down. His breathing was terribly labored as he jogged. "Are you okay?" She asked in a concerned tone.
"I'm…fine…" he panted out.
But it was clear to her that he was not fine, and it occurred to her that something wasn't right. When she met him at the bridge leading away from her home, he had not been tired in the least from his trek to Kokiri Forest. Sure, he had probably walked instead of run, but still…
Despite his age, he did not look too badly out of shape, and if she recalled correctly, Link had once told her that the grave keeper was very active. So why was he so tired? A wave of guilt hit her as she realized Dampe was putting a great deal of his energy into the protective spell. That's what was slowing him down. She suddenly felt bad that she was using him for her own selfish desires, but Saria was certain she was doing the right thing.
They continued their jog, and though they were making decent progress, it wasn't enough for her. Despite her initial awe at the sight of Hyrule Field, she had rapidly come to despise it for its size and the amount of time it was taking to cross it. The rain wasn't helping her mood, either.
They kept at it for what to Saria was an unbearable amount of time. She had walked for days and days in the forest before, but having to slow down to her fellow traveler's pace when she was in a rush was torture. Plus, since they were in an open field with few landmarks, their destination never seemed to get any closer.
Relief came eventually, though, when the steady downpour halted. She was finally able to see clearly, and with a few rays of sunlight seeping through the clouds, she had to admit that Hyrule was beautiful despite her current attitude toward it. This put her in a slightly better, more optimistic mood, and she quickened her pace, figuring they would be able to move faster without the precipitation. She expected Dampe would do the same, but after ten steps, she realized he was no longer following her. She couldn't hear his ragged breaths or his heavy footsteps in the mud. Bewildered and slightly worried, she quit walking and turned once again to face him.
Dampe was not even moving. He seemed frozen in place, not making a sound with eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He was holding in a breath, and his face was contorted in a way that told Saria he was in a situation he could not handle.
The Forest Sage's optimism was forgotten, and fear overcame her. 'Oh my goddesses! What's wrong with him? He must've used up too much power to get me this far!' She sprinted to his side. "Dampe. Dampe! What's wrong?" He answered by trembling and falling to his knees. He still did not breathe. Saria was ready to start panicking. "Please! You have to get up!"
And then the trembling stopped. He suddenly gasped for air as if emerging from a body of water. Slowly but surely, he regained his standing position. His eyes were still wide open, but now held a look of amazement rather than pain and confusion.
She could see he was better now, but she was still wary. "Are…you all right? What happened?"
His heart rate recovered from the brief trauma, and he looked down at the small girl in wonder. "I remember…" Saria was starting to think he had become delirious from pushing himself too hard, but she let him continue. "I-I remember! Don't you see? I…!"
"Calm down," she said cautiously. "You need to rest for a moment."
He shook his head wildly. "No!" he babbled excitedly. "Don't you get it? I remember everything now! Ganondorf ruled for seven years. He turned Castle Town into a home for Redeads! I—" A thousand images, memories, flashed through his head in rapid succession. Poes had taken over his graveyard. He had…died. He had met sixteen-year-old Link and challenged him to a race through the underground catacombs.
Understanding dawned on her. "You remember the alternate timeline?"
"Yes!"
Saria furrowed her brow in thought. 'Why would he suddenly remember that? Unless…' She looked up at him in alarm. "Link's pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time."
His awed expression fell into one of dread similar to hers as he realized the hidden meaning behind her statement. "Ganondorf..."
There was a brief pause when both were frozen in place. Then they snapped out of it and began running for all they were worth, the grave keeper taking the lead this time. "Where to now?" she shouted.
"If the Gerudo King is here and Link knows about it, he won't be going to my house. Come on!"
Altering their direction so they sprinted toward the castle in the distance, they saw that Hylians had begun pouring out of Castle Town into Hyrule Field. It was official: the owner of the Triforce of Power was back.
Presently a woman on horseback sped by the old man and the youth in the direction that they were running, apparently coming from a small settlement to their backs at the center of the field. (Lon Lon Ranch, though Saria didn't know the name of it) But once she was twenty feet ahead of them, she suddenly halted and looked back at the Forest Sage in disbelief. Dampe and Saria planned on ignoring the strange look and jogging past her, until she shouted. "Saria?!"
The pair stopped, wondering where she had learned the green-haired girl's name. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"No. But I know a guy named Link who always talks about his green-haired best friend. My name's Malon."
Saria stiffened imperceptibly. This was the girl—'No, the woman,' a traitorous voice inside her corrected—that Link always visited when he wasn't with the Kokiri. A bit of the jealousy the eternal child felt whenever Link mentioned the red-head reared its ugly head. A tiny hint of anger appeared in her countenance, but she managed not to let her emotions get the best of her.
In the seconds that followed, she awkwardly searched her mind for a suitable response to the Hylian's introduction. She couldn't say "It's nice to meet you," because it wasn't. Despite all the invading of Link's privacy she had done lately, Saria hated to lie and deceive, and thought she was sure that Malon must be a wonderful person to have befriended him, she could not bring herself to be excited about meeting her.
Luckily, Dampe came to the rescue. "I'm sorry, miss, but we're in a hurry. Link is—"
"Did you see where he went?" she interrupted frantically. "I have a terrible feeling that he's—"
Saria didn't pay attention to the rest of the conversation. She caught the major points, like Dampe informing Malon that she wasn't the only one who suddenly remembered an alternate future and that Ganondorf was back and that Link was most likely about to fight him, but her interest was elsewhere at the moment.
'She looks…scared. She's just as scared as I am that something might happen to Link.' It was completely unreasonable to get mad at her for being worried for the safety of their mutual friend, but the Kokiri's blood boiled regardless. Before she had time to think any more about it, though, Malon remounted her horse and rode back the way she had come. Thinking Dampe had assured her that everything would be all right and that she could go back home, Saria calmed down, but her relief was short-lived.
"Has Link ever taught you how to ride a horse?"
The question snapped her back to reality. "Huh? No. Why?"
He frowned as he looked down at her. "Weren't you listening? Ganondorf is likely going straight for the princess at the castle, and that's a long way from here on foot. Malon's going back to her ranch to get another horse for us."
"I—is she coming with us?"
The old man sighed. "I told her it was too dangerous, but, like you, she refuses to stay behind while Link is in danger."
Dampe meant no harm and was clueless as to her inner turmoil, but his comment rubbed her the wrong way. He not only ruined her fantasy of not having to deal with Malon again soon, but also compared her to the person she liked least at the moment. Anger returned, and this time it was difficult to contain, taking the form of extreme impatience. Even though she knew it would be faster to wait for a few minutes and then travel the rest of the way on horseback, Saria almost wanted to leave right now without her and go the remaining distance on foot just to spite her.
Fortunately she didn't have to wait long before Malon returned with an extra horse following the one she was on. When she neared and brought both animals to a halt, Dampe took the initiative and climbed onto the one without a person on its back. He then looked expectantly at Saria, who was unsure of what to do. "Climb on and sit behind me. I know how to ride, so don't worry about that. Just hold on."
She glanced briefly at Malon, who had already taken off. A fierce determination ignited within her. She had already been adamant in finding Link, but it had been a reflection of her desperation to see him again. Now she had another reason: she did not want Malon to find him before she did. Why, she didn't know, but with her best friend (and the whole kingdom) in peril, the "why" hardly mattered. She and Dampe had to act quickly, and pausing to think was a luxury they could not afford.
Being too short to climb, she grabbed his outstretched hand and let him pull her up before delicately grabbing on to him for safety. A kick to the horse's sides propelled them forward at a faster rate than Saria thought possible, and a mixture of fear and exhilaration temporarily shoved aside all her thoughts, although they came back quickly: as soon as her horse caught up with Malon's, her strange competitive spirit returned.
She kept sneaking peeks at Malon, trying to study her without being conspicuous. She knew there were much more important matters now, but it would be a few minutes before the group reached its destination, and that was all the motivation she needed to satisfy her curiosity.
'She sort of looks like how I pictured an adult woman. She's big like Link and has about the same shape as a Kokiri, but there are some weird differences. What's wrong with her chest? Is there something under her shirt?'
She was distracted from her thoughts when they got close enough to Castle Town that they had to weave around all the people evacuating. Seeing all the frightened citizens made her a little frightened as well, but she steeled herself and fought back the negative feelings.
They reached Castle Town, and for a glorious minute she saw for the first time a city whose buildings were not carved from trees. Then she was in a field once again, and she could see the foundations of Hyrule Castle.
Its majesty was ruined by the dead bodies of soldiers that littered the landscape. Saria thought she was going to be sick. She had never seen such carnage, and stomaching it proved to be quite a challenge. She felt terrible about it, but she closed her eyes and tried to ignore what she had seen.
The three riders made it to the front gate and dismounted. Saria took the lead and opened the door. The group was about to enter when a Malon heard a familiar neigh.
"Epona!"
"Malon, let's go!"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't ignore all these soldiers. I'm going to take Epona and see if I can help any who are still alive. You two go on ahead." And just like that, she was off.
At this point, Saria was too focused on finally finding her best friend to be either happy or sad about Malon's departure. She turned to her other companion. "Come on!"
Dampe was not the bravest of people. After seeing so many dead soldiers, he was having second thoughts about this journey. He was beginning to think that Malon had the right idea. "M-my dear, maybe we shouldn't go after him. This is his fight and his fight alone. We cannot interfere."
"I don't care! I'm going after him! If you want to run away, that's fine by me!" She disappeared inside.
Dampe hesitated. Link would surely kill him if Saria were harmed in any way, but seeking out Ganondorf could very likely get him killed as well. Fear of Link won out over fear of Ganondorf, and he followed her into the fortress.
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That song…that accursed song. It resonated throughout the castle, and Link had a hard time preventing unease from creeping in. It was unchanged from the last time he had heard it, so long ago. Played on an organ undoubtedly located at the top floor just a few staircases above him, it pierced his soul, evil and malevolence as clear as the dissonance which composed it.
'It's his song. The song of his soul.'
It grew louder as he ascended the stairs before reaching the peak of the crescendo just outside the final room. Link touched the door, and it automatically opened for him. The scene that met him as he entered was almost identical to the one in the alternate future except for one key feature: Zelda was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't trapped in a crystal prison hovering over the organ as he had somewhat expected her to be.
Ganondorf sat in front of the organ, his back turned to Link, playing his music with fingers almost too big for the keys. Then, sensing Link's presence, he ended his recital and stood, turning around to face him with a wicked grin. "Hello Link."
He walked calmly toward the Hero. Link looked him over: he was exactly as Link remembered him, except he was even bigger, stronger, and more intimidating than before.
"It's been a while." The Gerudo spoke as if he were greeting an old friend. "I just reacquainted myself with the princess."
It angered Link to see his enemy treat the situation so casually. "Where is she?"
"You should already know. Surely you've noticed the pull you feel toward her through your Triforce piece disappear and mine grow twice as strong." Smirking, he raised his right arm to show Link the Triforce symbol on the back of his fist. Both the top triangle and the bottom right were glowing. "I have convinced her to give me the gift of Wisdom," he said proudly.
"Where is she?" Link repeated.
Ganondorf flashed him the creepiest smile he had ever seen, a smile Ganondorf had been waiting to give him for nine years. "I'm not making the same mistakes I made last time. Did you really think I'd just let her free after I had no more use for her?"
The implications of that question hit Link hard. The Master Sword in his hand glowed with righteous fury. 'No! It—it can't be! Zelda!' He searched the larger man's face for any hint that he might be lying, but there was none. He looked so smug right now that Link wanted to rip his face off. "Why? She wasn't a threat to you anymore!"
"Neither were the castle guards, but I killed them. Why aren't you upset by their deaths?"
Link was livid. All the anger he had been feeling the past few days about being expelled from the forest bubbled to the surface. He had already lost Saria. Now he had lost Zelda too.
Ganondorf stared at the glowing blade in Link's left hand, and his smirk grew. "Perhaps you didn't know this, but I too am a swordsman, and I have a special sword just like you. Your blade has the power to repel evil, while mine…" he held out his right hand, and an enormous sword made of dark energy materialized in its grip, "has the power to repel good." On his command, black energy rippled and leapt across the surface of his sword. In response, the bottles Link had been carrying with him shattered and the fairies he had brought flew away, unable to stand such a strong source of darkness. Link watched them escape, feeling slightly panicky. Fortunately, the lone bottle of blue potion he had brought remained in tact. "While I was trapped in the Sacred Realm, I poured my anger, hatred, and sorrow into this blade. Your fairies are too pure to stand up to its might; they can't help you any more than Navi did."
Link was puzzled. Was his enemy hinting at something?
"You may blame me for her death, but she dug her own grave: no fairy has stayed in my presence as long as she did and lived."
The Hylian was smacked with a sudden revelation. Had Navi fled because she had been fatally weakened by Ganondorf's dark magic when they first fought? Perhaps she hadn't wanted Link to see her die? That would explain why she left without a single word. Was she dead now? Link almost asked for confirmation of his suspicions, but the pleased, sadistic way Ganondorf smiled at him told him everything.
"Any ordinary man might go insane in the presence of such concentrated evil, but as you know, you and I are so much more than ordinary men." Link was too angry about Navi's death to act surprised when a dark shield materialized in his enemy's left hand. "It's a shame the Triforce bearers are destined to be enemies; had the threads of fate been spun a bit differently, we could have been powerful allies. You and I are alike in many ways." He smiled wickedly on the last sentence.
Link did not deny this. As he stood, sword in left hand and shield in right, he noticed that his enemy held his sword and shield in the opposite manner so that as the two faced each other, their battle stances were mirror images. Both of them had the strength and determination to get where they were now, and neither was willing to back down until the other was defeated.
Ready to cut Ganondorf into a million pieces for hurting his friends, Link made the first move.
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Stairs were the toughest foes Saria and Dampe encountered on their way to the top floor. The place was oddly devoid of monsters, most likely because Ganondorf hadn't been out of the Sacred Realm long enough to make an army. She wasted no time climbing from floor to floor despite Dampe's wheezing protests. 'So close…we're almost there…'
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Neither fighter was able to gain an advantage over the other. They were matching each other blow for blow, and Link had a hunch that the first one to make a mistake would be the one who lost. Determined not to let that be him, he went all out in his attacks, utilizing everything he had ever learned from his sword training.
Focus was vital; the slightest error could mean the end of him. Thankfully, he had taught himself long ago how to push all other thoughts away while fighting, and he was having no trouble doing just that.
But it would not last. To his utter horror, a voice entered his head and began laughing. The Fierce Deity, complete with its penchant for bad timing, had found its voice again after being silenced by Courage earlier. 'Use me!' it cried.
'Please,' Link begged, gritting his teeth and trying to concentrate, 'not now. I can't handle Ganon AND you!' He narrowly avoided having his head chopped off and swung back to return the favor.
'Ha ha ha! We don't have to be enemies, kid! We can work together, and I guarantee we'll make mincemeat of this chump. All you have to do is LET ME OUT!'
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Saria and Dampe heard sword clashing against sword, and they quickened their pace. They could see an open door at the top of the stairs, and the volume of the noise told her that Link was inside. The last stretch of stairs was long, and even running as fast as they were they had a sizeable amount of time to listen to the heavy breathing and the shouting and the swords hitting each other.
But before the newcomers had ascended the whole way, the noises stopped. Two different but simultaneous gasps of pain reached Saria's ears. She recognized one of them as Link's and judged the other lower-pitched gasp to be Ganondorf's. No more breathing or movement could be heard.
The little girl and old man quit running, suddenly afraid of what they might find if they continued. They waited for any auditory signs of life. Fifteen seconds passed by, and she thought her heart would beat out of her chest if this kept up. Now deathly scared that something might have happened to Link, she shoved all dread aside and bolted up the final few stairs, and there she witnessed the single most terrifying moment of her life.
The two warriors had been in a frenzy to find a chance to impale the other, and they had evidently both found that chance at the same time. Link and Ganondorf stood facing each other without moving. The Master Sword, still firmly in Link's grasp, had been forced through the Gerudo's stomach and was now sticking out of his back. Similarly, a gigantic dark sword that Ganondorf held had pierced Link's body. Trembling with the effort to remain upright, they had each dropped their shield in shock from the blow, but neither released his grip on his sword, even as their legs gave and they collapsed.
The Forest Sage shrieked. "LINK!!!"
Dampe was in no small amount of shock himself, but he had enough sense to hold her back as she attempted to rush to her friend's side.
Saria was understandably enraged at being held back. "Let me GO!"
Her youthful energy was a handful for an old-timer like him, but he held her in place. "You must not go over there! This battle isn't over yet!"
"Huh?" Saria obeyed his wishes when she saw that the Triforce of Power on Ganondorf's hand had begun to glow. It became more and more luminous until he was engulfed in the golden light, and his form very slowly began to change. 'He's using Power to transform into Ganon!'
She checked to see if Link's piece of the Triforce was also glowing, but there wasn't a single part of him that looked alive.
"Link, get up! Please!" He didn't respond. Saria didn't even know if he could hear her, and that scared her almost as much as his wound did. 'Oh no, he's not moving! What if he's…he's…' Tears began flowing without her permission. "You can't die! Get up!"
Still nothing happened, and Ganondorf was nearly done transforming.
She didn't care about Ganondorf, though. She was too busy trying to will Link to be all right. She couldn't handle the idea of him not being okay. 'I can't ever see myself living without you if you die, Link. You have to be alive!' But without any response from him, her hope began to fade. 'No…I did not come this far from the forest to lose you like this! There has to be something I can do!'
Meanwhile, Dampe attempted to stop the transformation. He was weak from using so much power on Saria's protective spell, but he utilized what little magic he had left to throw light energy at Ganondorf's incandescent body. It was all for naught, though: nothing he did slowed the process or even elicited a reaction. He did not have the enough mana to do any significant damage, and once he realized this, he backed up against a wall, not knowing what to do.
Saria's fear and despair gave way to anger, and she was about to use her magic in the way Dampe had done when she noticed a bulge in one of Link's tunic pockets. She automatically knew what it was, for he had always reserved that pocket for one thing and one thing only.
'Nine years…I can't believe he's kept the ocarina I gave him all this time…' A transient nostalgia filled her mind as she remembered all the time she had spent playing music with him, and it was then that she recalled the song ("Link's Song," as he called it) that he had taught her barely over a week ago. (Author's Note: What, you thought I would just mention that Link had a special song in chapter two and then never bring it up again? Shame on you:p) I made that song up while I was in Termina. Every time I felt too tired to go on and the situation depressed me to the point of inaction, I played it and felt my will power return to me. This song is very special to me.
Remembering how the song had rejuvenated him after he had tired himself out that day, Saria pulled out her own ocarina and played it as fast as she could without messing up the notes or the rhythm.
When it ended, Courage began glowing, and she felt hope rushing back to her. The dark sword slipped out of Link's stomach, and the huge hole in his body healed. An invisible force picked him up off the ground and placed him on his feet. Amazingly, he seemed to have no trouble assuming battle stance again, his Master Sword and Hylian Shield once more at the ready.
Link noticed for the first time that she and Dampe were at the scene. His eyes widened. "Saria?! What—"
The conversation would have to wait, for Ganondorf had now fully transformed into Ganon. Link backed up and fired a Light Arrow at him, but the monster blocked it with one of its two new swords. In a moment of insight, he realized that this was not the same Ganon he battled last time. He had only won against it in the alternate timeline because the creature had been blinded by rage and bloodlust and fought poorly because of it. This time, it seemed that Ganon was in full control of its abilities.
The monster rushed toward Link with a speed that belied its size. He was so surprised that all he could manage to do before the distance between them vanished was bring up his Hylian Shield for a defensive stance; but the blow Ganon delivered was so powerful that it sent him flying. He hit a wall hard and fell to the ground.
Sensing victory, Ganon roared in delight. Link could feel the floor vibrate as the behemoth stomped toward him to deliver a fatal blow. His mind raced, yelling frantically for his body to get up, but his collision with the wall had temporarily immobilized him. 'Come on, get up! It can't end like this!'
The Fierce Deity chose this moment to enter his mind once more. 'Ha ha! What's the matter, kid? Not up to the challenge?'
Rage and determination filled Link. 'Shut up,' he answered mentally. 'I'm going to kill Ganondorf, and you're going to help me.'
'So you've finally decided to let me out.'
'Not exactly.' Link's anger and resolve surged and flowed through him. Images of everyone and everything he held dear passed in front of his mind's eye, and he knew that no matter what, he had to win this fight. There was only one way to accomplish this, though. The Triforce of Courage glowed until it was brighter than it had ever been before.
The demon realized what he was trying to do. 'What the—? You think you can control me? Me? I'm a god! I'll take over your body and your soul will be lost forever!' It continued to scream, but Link was no longer concerned with the Fierce Deity's voice or even aware of it. All he knew was that he was going to borrow its powers for a while.
During the five-second-period in which this mental battle had taken place, Ganon had made it to the collapsed Link and was just about to strike and end Courage's glow, but before the oversized swords landed, an explosion of opaque white energy covered Link and concealed him. The momentum of Ganon's swing was negated, and it was forced back a few feet.
The next instant Link was no longer concealed, and he was standing upright, much to Ganon's surprise. A white aura still surrounded him, but it was translucent now instead of opaque, like a thin veil of fog. Moments later the energy dissipated, and everyone was granted a clear view of him.
He still appeared Hylian, and he still had his same basic shape, but he was…frightening. First of all, he had somehow grown to Ganon's size. His hair had changed to a ghostly white, and his eyes glowed white with an unworldly fury, pupils no longer visible. His tunic was not the green color that people used to identify him; it was blue, and his underclothing, formerly white, was dark blue. Black armor covered part of his tunic. Red wings were painted across his eyes, like a bloody mask, and a set of blue wings were visible on his forehead. His sword had also undergone a transformation: it was still the Master Sword, as it still had the mark of the Triforce on it, but it was now a two-handed double-helix blade that was as large as his new form.
Saria's and Dampe's eyes communicated a mixture of wonder, relief, and fear. "Is that…Link?" Dampe asked, voice trembling.
Ganon was intrigued by this new development, and before it realized the danger it was in, Oni Link lunged forward. Like Majora, Ganon never stood a chance, for Link was a god now. The new and improved Master Sword cut through the beast's flesh again and again so quickly that all the spectators saw were flashes of light. Ganon's cries of pain made Saria's and Dampe's hair stand on end.
Finally, both had reached their limits. Oni Link jumped back. It was taking a tremendous amount of energy for Link to stay in this form even with Courage's help, and he had pushed himself too hard; he could not maintain this form any longer. Ganon had taken too many blows; he could not remain in this monstrous any more, even with Power on his side.
The arena flashed a brilliant white, and when Saria and Dampe opened their eyes again, they saw that Link and Ganondorf had reverted back to their original bodies and were panting very heavily. The Gerudo King was in terrible shape: every wound he had received as Ganon was still visible. His armor had been completely destroyed, and with all the cuts on his body, it was a wonder his skin wasn't falling off. Link was only slightly better off; although he had not sustained any attacks as Oni Link, the transformation had taken a huge chunk of his energy away.
The two foes stood some twenty feet apart and stared, each waiting for the other to make a move. When neither did, and it appeared to Ganondorf that he was safe to catch his breath for a moment, he opened his mouth to speak. Blood poured forth from it.
Link saw a change in the Gerudo's eyes: before, they had been burning with rage and determination, but now they were softening. Not only that, but the desert man was dropping his fighting stance. Nonetheless, Link kept his, determined not to let the other fighter catch him off guard. He remained focused, his warrior instincts telling him that Ganondorf was trying to trick him somehow.
But no attack came. Ganondorf merely spoke. "Do you know…what power is?"
Link said nothing. He kept his defensive stance, still suspecting that the other man was trying to get him to lower his guard.
Ganondorf continued. "Power is not strength, nor is it the ability to destroy: it is control. I have always seen power as the ability to control one's destiny. Do you not desire this?"
Link decided to humor his nemesis with a quick nod, but he still refused to relax. He tried not to look at the red liquid exuding from the Gerudo's mouth with each pained word.
Ganondorf hung his head. "So do I…but neither of us can have it. I have fought for it all my life, but I have never had it, despite this damn triangle on my hand. I knew even before this fight began that I would not win. Such is my destiny. I have been fighting this destiny for so long…but to no avail. My only purpose…" he went into a series of bloody coughs, "…is to fight you. Even my own death can't thwart my destiny; years after we both die, we will be resurrected so we can fight once more. And years after our reincarnations die, we will be resurrected to fight yet again. Forever and ever…until the end of time. The goddesses have cursed me!" Yelling the last sentence, he lifted his head to shoot Link a look of total hatred. "And the only way to break this curse, the only way to take my life back…is to kill you." Ganondorf clenched his fists, and the rage returned to his eyes. "I swear, Link, you may have won this time, but we'll fight again; and when we do, I will obliterate you and that pathetic princess! I will obtain the Triforce and take over this world!" Ganondorf cackled in sheer insane delight.
Link had had enough. With what was left of his strength, he drew the Silver Arrow from his quiver. It was light, but he was barely able to lift his own arm, and the added weight caused him to tremble violently with effort. With a great deal of strain, he drew his bow and pulled the string back with the arrow. He shook so much that he was afraid his aim would be off, even though his target was standing still right in front of him. He felt like he might pass out at any moment, and his vision was starting to blur, but he concentrated all his energy into his aiming. He released the bowstring and launched the magical arrow toward Ganondorf's face. It pierced his brain with ease, and the King of Evil collapsed and did not speak or move again.
Firing the Silver Arrow consumed the last remaining bit of Link's physical and magical strength. 'That's okay. He's dead. I don't have to do any more.' He was on the verge of collapsing himself until a strange light coming from Ganondorf caught his attention. A wave of panic swept through him. 'No! He can't still be alive! I-I finished him! I don't have the strength to fight him again!'
It soon became clear, however, that Ganon would not rise. The light was coming from Ganon's pieces of the Triforce! Wisdom and Power detached themselves from his hand and floated above him. The two triangles floated and spun slowly in the air, giving off enough light to blind anyone who dared look at them for too long. Then, without warning, they rocketed toward Link. Link expected to have the wind knocked out of him, but to his astonishment he felt nothing from the impact, and the two triangles vanished upon contact with him. Confused, he looked at the back of his left hand and gasped. There, printed on his skin, was the Triforce. Not just Courage, but the whole Triforce. His body became warm, and every square inch of his being started emitting light.
Saria turned to Dampe. "What's happening?"
"The Triforce parts are resonating; they are becoming one again. Link has achieved a balance between courage, power, and wisdom. He has become worthy of holding the entire Triforce!"
Saria remembered the words of legend. If one with an evil heart obtains the Triforce, the world will be led into a dark age of fear and misery, but if it is obtained by one with a pure heart, the world will enter a golden age of peace and prosperity.
'What will he wish for?'
Three lyrical voices (the goddesses, he presumed) entered Link's head, and for once none of them belonged to the demon inside him. They spoke into his mind as one. 'You who have obtained all three pieces of the holy Triforce…what is your wish?'
Link was speechless. He had never seriously considered that one day he might have the entire Triforce and be able to make a wish. Now that it was happening, he didn't know what to do. He soon found an answer, though. '…I wish that the world will never have to suffer war or anything like Ganondorf again.'
'We cannot grant that wish. Strife and conflict will always exist, as it's a part of human and animal nature. We cannot eliminate war, nor can we eliminate Ganondorf. Existence requires a conflict between wisdom, courage, and power. In order for your world to live on, you, Zelda, and Ganondorf must be reborn every once in a while to fight for the Triforce.'
His spirits plummeted. 'Well, then…I wish I had a way of controlling the demon inside me and making sure it never gets out.'
'There is no point in granting such a wish. As the holder of the Triforce of Power, you already have complete control over the Fierce Deity.'
Link's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. After dealing with the god inside him for nine years, he could finally have peace of mind, plus he could call on the deity's power whenever he wanted! Half a minute passed while he wrapped his mind around this stunning information.
'What will you wish for now?'
He snapped out of his mental celebration and returned to the topic at hand. What else was there that he could wish for? 'Saria…' She was the most important person to him, and if he couldn't make the world better, he could at least start by giving her something. Mind made up, he spoke confidently. 'I wish that you would grant Saria's greatest desire.'
'It shall be done.'
The light that had been coming from him faded and the voices left. Link smiled broadly. The ordeal was over. He had won. Passing out still felt inevitable, but he no longer had to fight it. He closed his eyes and let unconsciousness overtake him.
"Link!" Saria rushed to his side.
Dampe glanced at the Forest Sage and noticed something that made his jaw drop: she was bigger. She had the body of an adult Hylian. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes, but the image remained when he looked again. 'Am I imagining this? What happened to her?' He contemplated voicing his confusion, but Saria didn't act like she was aware of the change. 'Her worry for Link must be distracting her. I won't say anything about it for now; we need to focus on getting him healed.' He walked over to Saria, who was kneeling beside the injured man, and put a hand on her shoulder. "He needs a healer now, or he won't make it."
She turned to face him. "You're good with magic. Do you know any healing spells?"
He nodded uncertainly. "I do know one, but it is weak at best. I only use it for small cuts and bruises, so it wouldn't be of any help here. What he needs is to have his wounds dressed and cleaned, and then when he wakes up he'll need a potion. Hopefully he has one on him."
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Dannondorf: As you might recall, Link does have a blue potion on him, so he'll be fine. :)
Jeez, I know I said that chapter nine was hard for me to write, but this one takes the cake. …Whatever. There's one more chapter left, and if I used my computer correctly, (which I don't always do when performing simple tasks) it should already be up. So turn the page and get ready for the last part of Saria's Wish! The tension that's been building between Link and Saria for the whole story is coming to a head. Read on!