Author's note: Yeah, I know, it's short. But y'know, I think it works out better that it's this short. Thanks to Moon Princess016 for the review! We've got at least one more chapter (maybe two) before the epilogue, which I really, really, really, really want to write. Oh, well. Enjoy and tell me what you think!
Chapter Ten
The monster slammed to the ground and roared mightily at Rinku and Zelda. It was huge. Two large cloven feet supported the massive blue-green body. A red mane of hair was visible over two, glowing ember eyes. A large pig snout and two huge ram's horns framed the eyes as well. In human-like hands it held massive broadswords, each honed to a deadly point. A thick tail tipped with red fur whipped out from behind the monster as it roared once more.
"That's Ganon?" Rinku asked. For the first time, fear took the place where courage should have been. He never expected to fight something this huge. Even with all the training he had been through, he didn't think the monster before him would be ten times the height of any man.
"Yes. Please, Rinku, be careful."
"I will."
Zelda let go of his shoulder, hard though it was to do so. In her mind, she kept thinking of the worst that could happen, that Rinku would be killed. She pictured – though not voluntarily – again and again the villain's sword jutting through the Hero's back. Only this time, it wasn't Link's death she was seeing.
It was Rinku's. Oh, goddesses! the Princess pleaded silently. Let him live!
As Rinku approached, the monster that was Ganon eyed him mercilessly. Rinku frantically thought through the different pieces of advice: slash his tail to stun him; go for the head when in reach; and stay out of the way of the swords.
It was the third rule that was broken first. With a roar, Ganon swiped at Rinku with one of its swords, catching the Hero off guard. Rinku went flying and landed hard on the ground with a sickening crack. Something had broke. He only hoped he could still be able to fight. As he staggered to his feet, his ribs screamed in pain. Swearing under his breath at his newly acquired injuries, he ducked under another sword swing, rolling under the monster to get at its tail. He silently thanked Impa for her hard training.
He slashed at the tail and Ganon staggered. But it recovered and roared once more at Rinku, swiping at him with its two swords. Rinku managed to dodge one but get hit by the other, and went flying once more. He landed hard on his uninjured side, yet he coughed up blood, paid wracking his whole body.
"Rinku, get up!" Zelda screamed. Rinku looked up and managed to struggle to his feet to escape the cloven hoof coming down to crush him.
Navi caught up with him as he tried to get his ragged breathing under control. "You can do it, Rinku," she said.
"I don't know if I can." The young Hero grimaced with pain as he watched Ganon take deliberately slow steps toward him. "Another swipe from those swords and that could be it for me."
"You made a promise."
"That I did." Gathering his strength and biting back pain, he ran forward, slicing at whatever he could with his sword, whether is was the legs of the monster or the tail.
Ganon roared in pain and dropped to one knee as Rinku laid another blow on the monster's tail. The Hero rushed toward Ganon's head, knowing it was the final place where he could drive his sword in and finish the fight once and for all.
Ganon saw it coming. The monster lashed out with one sword, hitting Rinku with the flat of the blade. The Hero, caught by surprise, went flying for a third time. He hit the wall of a smoldering building. For a moment, he staggered on his feet, the Master Sword falling to the ground with a dull thud. Then Rinku followed his weapon. He collapsed, unmoving.
Zelda stood frozen, unable to speak or to run to her Hero's side. The Sages, too, seemed struck by the sight. Ganon's form glowed, and once more was Ganondorf the Gerudo. The man's leg's were bleeding dark blood, and he was breathing harshly. His sword was in his hand, glittering darkly in the light of the smoldering fires. He took several limping steps toward the unconscious Hero.
Suddenly, Zelda knew what the villain was going to do, but she still was frozen with shock. As Ganondorf raised his sword – point downward – over Rinku, the Princess finally found her voice.
"NO!"
The hysteria in Zelda's voice surprised even herself. It was as if the world paused, Ganondorf's sword frozen in midair. But Zelda knew she hadn't done anything other than scream. Ganondorf lowered his sword.
"Please, don't kill him!" Zelda continued, sobbing hard as she spoke. "Please! Don't take another from me!"
"Another?" Ganondorf questioned, turning to her. Behind his back, Navi landed on Rinku. Her glow was so dim that Zelda could barely make out the tiny winged woman that was truly Navi. The fairy looked up at Zelda, and immediately the Princess knew Rinku was still alive. "What do you mean, another?"
"You killed Link! You took him from me! And now you plan on doing the same with Rinku!"
Ganondorf stormed forward. "Be silent, woman!" He commanded, grabbing her by the throat. "You're Heroes are worthless! They have both failed in what the prophecy laid out for them." He threw Zelda to the ground and turned to Rinku to finish the job.
"You're wrong," Zelda said, hoping to buy some time. She looked up from the rain-soaked ground.
"Excuse me?" Ganondorf said, his voice more deadly than ever before. He turned back to the Princess. "Did you just correct me?"
"Yes. I did. Link beat you once!" She noticed with a start that Rinku was getting to his feet, barely staggering as he picked up the Master Sword. Even Navi, perched on the Hero's shoulder, seemed surprised. But when Rinku looked into Zelda's eyes, she saw they were not the usual green, but a stark blue. Blue like...
"When? Before or after I pummeled him?"
"Hey, Ganondork!"
The voice was Rinku's.
Ganondorf turned around furiously and took a step back when he saw Rinku on his feet. Once more, Zelda was startled by the change in his eye color. Those blue eyes were Link's not Rinku's. And the Hero's voice. It sounded like Rinku's, but it also sounded like Link's. What was going on?
As Navi fluttered of Rinku's shoulder, the young Hero glanced at Zelda one more, a look crossing his face that answered the Princess' question.
Ganondorf, getting over his surprise, swung his sword at Rinku, but the Hero blocked expertly, as if he didn't have any injuries at all. "Y'see, Ganondork," Rinku said in that voice once more, "you don't mess with the Heroes, 'cause all you get is pain."
"I'll mess with whoever I want to!"
The two circled each other. Rinku had not a single limp in his stride, though Zelda could tell that he did have so many wounds all over his body. If he was in pain, he didn't show it. Ganondorf, on the other hand, had a profound limp, and that weakness didn't put him in favor of winning this fight.
"When are you ever going to learn?" Rinku asked mockingly. "You don't own the world, and you never will. We Heroes will always be there to stop you." He narrowed the still-blue eyes. "Always."
And with that word, he charged forward suddenly, and slashed with the Master Sword. His eyes turned back to the green his eyes normally were. Ganondorf blocked but his sword flew from his hands. With another slash, Rinku mortally wounded the villain.
Ganondorf was dying.
"Now!"
The Sages, who had been lurking on the edges, forbidden to intervene in the fight, bolted forward, ready to seal the villain away. Rinku stumbled backward, his limp profound, pain crossing his expression.
With a flash of light, a round disc appeared over Rauru's hands. As one, the six Sages began to chant something in old Hylian:
"Kami no megami – Nayru, Din, Farore – kou no kono tochi kara kono aku o soushin suru. Kono sensou o owara seru, kono oukoku ni heiwa o motarasu."
With his final breath in Hyrule, Ganondorf let out a wordless, throaty yell as he dissolved into black particles, flying toward the shining mirror Rauru held.
And then it was over. Rinku, leaning heavily on his sword, let out a sigh. Zelda hurried over to him, and he looked at her, his eyes once more blue. "Hey, Zel," he said in that strange voice once more. His eyes turned back to green and he collapsed.
Zelda knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse. She found one, thankfully, though it was weak.
"Was I imagining it...or did we just see Link in control of Rinku?" Saria asked tentatively. "Link's the only one who's ever called you Zel."
Zelda shook her head with confusion. She looked down at Rinku's unconscious face, praying that her Hero would open his eyes and tell her that everything would be alright.
