Understanding the Triforce
Disclaimer: I do not owe the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. All I owe is the plot.
Warning: Charakter death in this chapter!
Chapter Ten: The battle for Hyrule
Half an hour later, the group was on its way toward Arbiter's Grounds. "How do you feel?" Zelda asked in a voice so low that nobody except Ganondorf could hear her. "It conjures up old memories, Zelda. And these are unpleasant ones, for sure." They stood in front of the entry, but nobody moved. "Wait a minute, don't enter," Ganondorf suddenly said. Auru was muttering something to himself: "The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known... The criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror that was kept in the prison... Now that prison is condemned. This desert at world's end... It still holds the cursed mirror and the malice of the doomed inmates..." "Follow me, please. There is a path leading to the Mirror Chamber without passing through the dungeon," Ganondorf told the others, recalling the events of his execution. The path was almost invisible, but having travelled it in his mind at least a thousand times, he knew where it was. It was noon when the seven of them arrived at the top of Arbiter's Grounds. "The Mirror Chamber. This is the place where dangerous criminals were put up for execution or banishment to the Twilight Realm." His voice was calm, but Zelda could feel the emotions crushing down on her husband. "Mirror Chamber? But where is the mirror?" Link wanted to know, looking curious. "Boy! It is exactly here..." Ganondorf said but shook his head in amazement. The Mirror of Twilight was destroyed, the stand being empty. "What in the name of the three Goddesses..." Impa said and shook her head, too. "Why is the mirror gone?" Gustaf asked what everybody was interested in. "I think I know why the mirror is destroyed. Zant was sent back to the Twilight Realm via this mirror by Ganondorf. Maybe the ruler of the Twilight Realm destroyed it so that nobody of us will go there," Zelda guessed and the six others nodded. "But...that means that we are not able to sent anyone there, too," she continued and the others looked worried now - a lot worried. "Does anyone hear what I am hearing?" Link asked, tilting his head a bit. "Footsteps," all others answered in unison. "It's a trap!"
"Exactly, princess. Although I think that you are now called 'Queen' Zelda." A lot of shadow beast appeared, being led by Zant and a female Twili with orange hair, symbols all over her skin and a coronet symbolizing her status: Being the leader of the Twili. "Midna," Zelda said and the Twili started to laugh. "I am honoured that you remember my name, princess. But since the other rebels do not know my, allow me to introduce myself: I am Midna, the ruler of the Twilight Realm. I have been banned there the moment it has been established. And now I am here, looking for revenge. And I brought an old acquaintance with me, who is also looking for revenge. Come here, Zant!" The shadow beasts parted and he approached them. Wearing a mask and heavy armour, carrying a huge sword, black with red Twili runes and from the tone in his cold, sinister voice, they almost heard him smile. "Impressive. Your numbers should have been depleted on your way through the dungeon and all of you should have died in the Colosseum, fighting with these shadow beasts. Now, you will lose. Ganondorf Dragmire! You're having an old debt to pay, for banning me into the Twilight Realm again and for restoring the light in Hyrule." He stood next to Midna and both of them raised similar swords, their intention clear. The shadow beasts understood what that meant, too. Attack!
For a moment nothing happened, but then, like being stricken by lightning, the shadow beasts started to gallop towards the seven heroes. But it was no sneak attack, they were ready. It wasn't much of a fight. Five shadow beasts had been enough to outnumber the guard, but they weren't much of a fight for seven people skilled at swordplay. The tray started to balance to the hero's side, but at that moment, Midna and Zant decided to take place in the fight for Hyrule. Ganondorf noticed how the Twilight Princess approached Zelda and Link and suddenly, he knew what to do. "Link!" The blond turned to him and a second later, Ganondorf had thrown the Master Sword to him. Link stared at in a state of mere confusion, before he understood. With one single blow, he killed her, the Master Sword's long blade pushed all the way through her body. "NO!" Zant's voice had an enraged tone as he approached Ganondorf. "Too bad that you do not have another sword, Dragmire!"Zant said and lifted his Twilight Sword, striking down. "How ironic," Ganondorf thought the moment he felt the sword hitting him. "Now I am executed here the second time, but this time because I wanted to protect what I've sworn to destroy the last time." He was left on the floor, bleeding and Zant moved further, focusing on Impa. She had just finished off the last shadow beast, when she felt someone behind her and she swirled around, yet an instance too late. Blocking his jump attack ended in her losing the Execution Sword. "No! You dare not to touch my daughter!" Zelda yelled, but Zant lifted his sword again. Impa's eyes focused on her father, who looked as if he was about to die. "At least I won't face the Goddesses alone," she thought and shut her eyes, waiting for the last blow.
There was the sound of a sword gliding through the air, but no pain came. Carefully, she opened her eyes again, meeting Shad's gaze. He held the Execution Sword in his hand and obviously, he had used it to decapitate Zant. "I just couldn't let him kill you," he whispered and Impa gave him a weak smile, before rushing to her father. "Please, don't die, Dad," Gustaf said and stared at his father. Ganondorf had lost a lot of blood, but he was still alive. Zelda knelt next to her husband, stroking his face softly before touching his right hand, making the Triforce Symbol on the back of it glow. "Merciful Nayru, gentle Farore, flaming Din. I beg you to spare his life, to send him enough power to survive the attack. He has proven himself worthy of the Triforce of Power and he has saved Hyrule and its inhabitants. Please, save him, that's all I'm asking for. Save him, because I love him," Zelda prayed without saying a word, she only moved her lips.
"Goddesses! That has hurt." The voice shocked them all and the stared at Ganondorf in surprise. He had stopped bleeding and the wound looked now identically to the wound the Ancient Sages had inflicted him. None of them would ever know what had happened in this moment, except Zelda. The three Golden Goddesses had answered her prayers. She helped him getting up before hugging him as tightly as she could. "I love you," she told him and a smile lit up his face. "I love you, too," he replied and bent down to kiss her.