Ganondorf let out an immense roar as Link shoved his sword straight through his breastbone. Zelda and Agahnim both shrieked in horror as they watched Link withdraw the sword and kick Ganondorf over the railing, then helplessly watched him tumble down the side of the castle until he landed a few feet away.
Zelda was first at Ganondorf's side, and though she could barely see through her tears, she got him turned over. When she saw the wound on his chest she wanted to wail, but did her best to hold back for his sake.
"Heh... you're here..." Ganondorf wheezed as he reached his hand up and ran it through Zelda's hair. "Came back..."
"Yes I came back, I live here," she mumbled between sobs, laying her head on his shoulder. "With you. I live here with you. Because I love you, Ganon. So stay with me."
Ganondorf's eyes widened, and through his pain, he forced a smile. "You love me... Thank you, Zelda."
Zelda sensed Ganondorf stilling, and became frantic. "No, no no no! Ganon, Ganon!" Despite Zelda's pleas, his eyes closed, and his breathing came to a stop. Zelda's barrier finally broke, and she collapsed onto his chest, wailing her heart out. Agahnim and Zant bowed their heads in respect for their master, while Link laughed mockingly from the balcony.
After several moments of grief, the evening snowfall took on a golden hue. It was first noticed by Zant, who roused Agahnim. Agahnim studied it for a minute before instructing Zant to fetch everyone from inside, as he recognized something about it from long ago. The golden snowfall startled Link and stopped his celebrating, just as a bright light filled the sky.
Daphnes and the castle staff arrived in the garden in time to see a golden figure appear in the sky. "The Essence," Agahnim explained, as it floated over to Ganondorf and Zelda. Zelda looked up from her grieving when she noticed its brilliance light up the snow.
"Child, is it true that you have fallen in love with the one called Ganondorf?"
"...Yes, I have," she answered meekly.
"Are you aware that this one has no comprehension of the necessity to rely on others? That he is unwilling to help those in need?"
"I don't think that's entirely true," Zelda replied. "He relies on Agahnim and Ghirahim for advice, and he helped me more times than I can count. He even invited my father to come stay in the castle with us."
"So he did." The Essence then flew up to the balcony, where Link stood on guard. "But this one, this one only thinks of himself. This one believes women are property, and that he has a right to order them around. Is this true?"
"No, that's not true!" Link shouted defensively. "I've done plenty for others! I'm the best hunter in the village, I find their lost children and bring them back alive. I came here to save Zelda, after she was dumb enough to fall for that monster's brainwashing. That thing didn't love her, it wanted to fuck her and use her as a slave. I planned to give her a home and a life of luxury, where all she had to do in return for safety and shelter were her wifely duties, nothing more. Why can't you see that?"
The Essence flashed, temporarily blinding everyone in the garden. "You are courageous and skilled, oh hunter, but your arrogance and chauvinism outweigh your good points by far. Perhaps one day, you will learn the error of your ways as Ganondorf has done. But until then, you must pay for the harm that you have inflicted upon innocent Zelda."
When the brilliance of the Essence faded, Link found himself lower to the ground. It was then that he realized that he had been transformed into a creature himself, one resembling a wolf with green fur. He went to curse but discovered that he had no voice, and could only growl or whimper.
"You have not shown the ability to filter your words, therefore you must learn to make do without them," the Essence added, causing Link to jump back on his haunches and snarl. "Should you manage to truly learn your lesson and earn the honest love of those you demean, you will find your true self again." With that the Essence transported Link deep into the forest, and left him to find his own way.
After watching Link's disposition, Zelda laid down and tucked herself under Ganondorf's arm. She was relieved that the Essence found Ganondorf to be redeemed, but she only wished that it had happened while he was alive. Being the smart girl that she was, she managed to figure out that the Essence was the one who warned him to take care of others. It would have meant so much to him to know that he had succeeded.
"Take care of each other..."
Zelda was about to ask what the Essence meant, when it disappeared in a blinding flash. Sitting up to take a look, she noticed Agahnim standing across from her holding his torch. Only, it wasn't Agahnim, this one looked much more solid. "...Agahnim?"
Agahnim caught the distress in Zelda's voice, and noticed her skeptical stare. He looked down at his hands and gasped, then immediately turned to Ghirahim. "Great Goddesses! Ghirahim, look at you!"
"Me? Look at you! I can SEE you!" Ghirahim replied with excitement, then pulled off his gloves. No longer was his own skin an obsidian black, it was back to its original moon gray. He immediately stuck his fingers in his hair, relishing in having his long fringe back.
"Boys!" Agahnim and Ghirahim turned around to see Veran, no longer an insect but back to her human self. Her red hair was swept to the side over one eye, but her smile was big and bright. "Isn't this wonderful?"
"Yeah, Mama!" Vaati chimed in from his mother's arms, his purple bangs dangling in his eyes. "I can run again 'cause my feet are back!"
"Now you can't deny he's yours," Zant joked to Ghirahim, poking him in the side with his elbow. "I mean, same skin color, close hair color, not to mention the kid loves you..."
"BEAT IT, YOU GINGER LOONY!" Ghirahim growled, trying to swat at Zant and failing. Zant's horrific appearance had disappeared but he retained his height, having been the tallest of the three male servants. His tribal insignia on his forehead made him look intimidating, but his smile and chubby cheeks made him a big goof.
As Zelda watched everyone rejoice in their return to normalcy, she was suddenly tugged down and embraced by a pair of large, warm arms lined with soft red hair. It took a second for her to realize what was going on, but when she did, she lifted her head and was greeted by the man from her dreams.
"You...!"
"Yeah, me." He buried his fingers in her hair and pulled her close for a number of kisses to her cheeks and lips, before being blocked by a single finger on his lips.
Zelda's heart started racing as she stopped him, but she slowly leaned back and looked down at the man's chest. Right along the breastbone was a fresh scar the width of a sword.
"The Essence said I need to keep that with me as a reminder that as invincible as I may feel, I am still human," he explained when he saw Zelda looking at it. "But I don't mind. I got my life back, which is good because I live here with you and I intend to spend that life with you doing all the kinds of things people who love each other do together. Okay, my princess?"
"Oh Ganondorf, you are alive!" Zelda threw her arms around Ganondorf's neck, and the two kissed to the applause of Daphnes and the castle staff. "You're the man in my dreams! How can this be?"
"You're such a brilliant young woman, gifted with wisdom far beyond your mortal shell," Ganondorf murmured as he held her close. "My subconscious must have reached out to you, and you were smart enough to pick up on it. No wonder I fell in love with you."
"I'm so sorry I hurt you, I cried myself when I realized I was late coming back," Zelda said, curling her finger in a strand of Ganondorf's long red hair.
"The Essence told me what happened, it's not your fault," Ganondorf replied back, caressing Zelda's neck and the back of her head. He was concerned when Zelda suddenly winced in pain. "What's wrong?!"
"Oh, Link hit me a few times, the last one put me out," she explained. "Just a little sore."
"Every wolf I see from now on, dies."
"That's a little harsh, don't you think?"
"But you could have died! Unconsciousness is no simple matter. He needs to suffer."
"Let's just go inside," Zelda suggested, hoping to change the subject. "We need to get a room for Papa, and I imagine that your room is probably trashed from the fight, so you'll have to find somewhere to sleep as well."
"...I can't sleep in your room?"
"I suppose you can," Zelda said with a blush, "but that might be seen as improper..."
"I don't care what's proper or improper," Ganondorf grumbled. "All I care about is that when I wake up in the morning, I get to brush those puffy yellow curls out of my face."
Zelda chuckled, and held tightly to Ganondorf's arm as he rose to enter the castle. He was a little wobbly, a combination of weakness from battle and adjustment to his human size, but it was no trouble getting back inside.
"So when is the wedding?" a cheeky Veran asked once everyone was comfortably back inside the castle.
"Who said anything about a wedding?" Ganondorf barked, causing Agahnim and Ghirahim to grumble in embarrassment. Their master may be back to human form, but he was still as blunt as ever.
"A wedding... Oh, I don't know, no one's asked yet," Zelda answered, looking up at Ganondorf with a smile. Ganondorf responded by squeezing Zelda's hand.
"I gave you my word that I would not ask you to marry me again, and I intend to keep it," he said. "But before you get disheartened, hear me out. I want you to be the one to decide when you're ready to marry. So when you decide the time is right, propose to me. But just know that married or not, I will devote my life to making you happy."
Zelda nodded, and jumped into Ganondorf's arms for a tight embrace. "Thank you, that means a lot. Now if you don't mind, the last twenty four hours have been horrible and I'd just like to bury myself in bed next to my lover."
"I think I can arrange that," Ganondorf said, and carried Zelda up the stairs toward her room. "Though I can't say for certain I'll be able to keep you as warm as I used to, considering I'm not covered in fur anymore."
"Yes, but surely you know of another way to keep me warm?"
Ganondorf's smile then became a grin, and as he carried Zelda into her bedroom, he made sure the door was locked behind him.
