A/N: I absolutely stink at writing action scenes, so I apologize in advance for them.

Enjoy!

Heroic Assassin

Chapter 14

My head is foggy when the guards come to get me and they have to half drag me up the stairs. I haven't had food or water in days and now I'm paying for it. Ganondorf came to visit me only a few times and it was to wear down my mental strength. I know what he wants, but I'm not giving up that easily, I won't let him have control, he'll have to kill me first. He can't use me as is right now anyway. He still needs the Spiritual Stones, which are with Zelda.

Zelda…

If I hadn't felt bad before let's add guilt on top of it. I haven't seen or heard from her since the day I yelled at her and stormed off. I wouldn't talk to her when she showed up at my tree house doorstep. I didn't want to see her. Now I'm regretting it. I feel terrible for what I said, sure most of it was true, but I shouldn't have shouted at her and then completely reject her when she tried to explain.

After I had simmered down, I had walked out to find her gone. Goddesses know where she went. The Kokiri weren't much of help either, mainly because she didn't tell anyone where she was going or what she was doing. I had panicked, believing she had gone to the castle to fight Ganondorf herself. I had found Epona waiting patiently for me outside the Kokiri's Forest like the obedient horse she was and quickly rode to the castle.

Upon arrival, I had too late figured out she was not there and instead came face to ugly face with Ganondorf. I can't remember much after that. The one thing I do know is Ganondorf had gotten in my mind again and knocked me out. I woke up in the dungeons hours later not knowing what time it was or how long I was out.

Now here I am as a prisoner being brought up for his sentence. I only hope Zelda stays clear of the castle. I don't want her here. Nothing good will come from it.

The guards that I'm tethered to lead me out of the castle's front doors to where Ganondorf waits. He stands motionless with his arms crossed, a shadow in the night. I didn't even know what time of day it was until now. The night air is cool—cooler than usual. I realize that Autumn is coming to an end and in its wake comes Winter. I shiver in my thin clothes, wishing I had my cloak wrapped around my shoulders for warmth.

The guards stop before him, ultimately stopping me as well. His greedy golden eyes sweep over me once, betraying nothing. He smirks.

"It gives me great satisfaction to see the Hero of Time withered down to this: chained like a dog."

I glare up at him before spitting at his feet. Feeling smug, I return his smirk with one of my own. His expression contorts to one of pure, unadulterated rage. His fist connects with my jaw not once, but twice. Before I can recover, he's grasped the collar of my tattered shirt and lifted me up by it, suspending me in midair.

"You best behave, Hero, or you'll receive worse than that. I only need you for so long."

He deposits me on the ground unceremoniously like a forgotten toy. I rotate my jaw, reassuring myself that it's not dislocated from its socket. Despite the blood in my mouth and a split lip, I came away unscathed. This time.

Ganondorf begins walking towards Castletown without another word and the guards follow obediently, tugging me along with them.

The streets are silent, perhaps because all of the citizens are safely tucked away in their homes, completely oblivious to the events unfolding. Ignorance is bliss and I only wish I could be ignorant along with them, but I know all too well where Ganondorf is taking me. It isn't long until I see the white bricked steeple come into view and shorter still when we arrive at the front doors to the Temple of Time.

Ganondorf pushes the double doors open with a crash, the oak doors swinging wildly on their hinges. Inside, past the Pedestal of Light are two more guards, and at their feet, kneeling and shackled much like me, is Zelda. My heart both soars and sinks at the sight of her. Soars because it's Zelda and she's all right, but sinks because she's here and that means Ganondorf has all the pieces to the puzzle.

Her back is straight, her shoulders squared—the perfect picture of a queen. She's facing the altar before the Door of Time, so she doesn't see us approaching. The guards holding me captive kick the back of my legs, forcing me to kneel right beside Zelda who doesn't even flinch.

My heart sinks even more.

She still thinks I'm angry with her.

Her hair is tousled, wispy strands escaping her braid and cropping her stoic expression. Her eyes are a blue icy fire, a cutting and sharp coldness and yet burning with determination and defiance. Just like a queen should act in this situation.

"If it isn't the darling Queen Zelda," Ganondorf's voice booms, echoing in the spacious temple. "Have you missed me since the last I saw you?" He comes to stop directly in front of her, glaring at her as she completely disregards him. Her face is pale, but not gaunt from malnutrition. I can't say the same for myself. How long has she been here? Certainly not as long as I have. Though by Ganondorf's next question, she's been here long enough to irritate him.

"I'll ask only once more, Princess. Where. Are. The. Stones?" Ganondorf's voice has turned deep and threatening. I know that tone well and that tone means he's fed up. Zelda raises her chin higher and answers him for what must be the hundredth time.

"I haven't got them. In fact, they're nowhere to be found. I destroyed them beyond repair."

"Lies, you wouldn't possibly destroy them. You of all people," Ganondorf seethes, his fists clenching at his sides. Is it even possible to destroy the Spiritual Stones? Surely not, for how would one gain entrance to the Master Sword without them? I give Zelda a sidelong glance, wondering what's running through her mind.

"They're gone, Ganondorf," She spits his name out vehemently, narrowing her eyes and daring him to challenge her once more. Ganondorf reacts the way he responds best when his tolerance is spent. Before anyone of us can comprehend it, he's backhanded Zelda across the face. She gasps lightly, the hit taking her by surprise, taking everyone by surprise. Rage flames up inside me and I struggle in my shackles, but my guards are quick to react, pulling the chains taut and restraining my movements.

"You bastard! You would stoop so low to hit a woman? That doesn't show us anything but you being a coward!" I shout, my voice rising with each word spoken. I dare him to hit Zelda one more time, because if he does I will find a way out of these chains and run him through right here, right now. He must see the challenge in my eyes and the intensity along with it because he loses his smug grin.

"Search her for the stones." The two guards at her side force her to stand and they begin patting her down (much longer than necessary, to my displeasure) for the pouch containing the Spiritual Stones. My hopes of her hiding it somewhere across Hyrule diminish when one guard raises his hand and with it is the brown pouch. Zelda's expression remains stoic, but I can see in her eyes that she's berating herself.

Ganondorf opens the pouch and pulls out one of the stones we collected. He holds the Zora's Sapphire in his hand and rotates it every which way, examining it. Like we could have made a fake one. It does not shimmer in his hand like it would in ours; instead it remains dull, snuffed out of any light. When he's satisfied, he synchs the tiny pouch to his belt alongside the Ocarina of Time. I blink at the sight of it on his belt. I shouldn't be surprised, though, the first thing he probably did when I was sent to the dungeons was search me for the Ocarina. I forgot that I had it myself. He claps his hands together, making this a grand spectacle when it's not.

"Shall we begin?" Ganondorf turns to the sleek, black topped altar and fits the stones into place. They spin lustrously on their pointed apexes, emitting a soft glow as they twirl. Without wasting any time, he turns his attention to me. His arm outstretches towards me and in his proffered hand is the light blue hued Ocarina. My guards feed my manacled wrists enough slack so I can move my arms freely. They shove me at the altar and I have to catch myself from face planting into the ground. I glare at the bulky bodies of armor over my shoulder. They're having too much fun out of this.

"Play the song, Hero," Ganondorf demands, forcing the wooden instrument into my hands.

"And if I don't?" It's stupid of me to ask that question. Knowing Ganondorf, he'll resort to threats and physical abuse. He doesn't answer my question with words; instead he turns his piercing gaze on Zelda. A guard holding her snakes his fingers into her hair and tugs her entire head back, eliciting an involuntary whimper from her lips. Held at her neck is the steel blade of a dagger, ready to taste blood.

Link, listen to him. Her voice in my head is strained, but still comes in clear. I have to refrain myself from giving her a bewildered look. Is she crazy? No way am I taking orders from Ganondorf—the egotistical pig that he is.

Do you want him to have his Triforce back?

No, but you're just going to have to trust me on this. I know I don't deserve your trust, not after what I've done, but please, just this one last time let me have your trust. You can go back to hating me afterward.

Trust. What a powerful word and risky feeling to give. The trust I put into Zelda was betrayed. I gave her my heart and she rejected it, throwing it back at me.

Though, in a way, can't she say the same about me?

She stood up to me all those times when I had no memory of her, knowing I could have lashed out and possibly hurt her, she stayed true and kept to my side. She could have just as easily left and claimed me a lost cause. All the harsh words I threw at her she took in stride and volleyed them right back.

But after everything that has happened, after all we've been through, I could never hate her for it. Hate is such a strong word, one I would never use to describe my feelings towards Zelda.

Knowing where my heart lies, I bring the Ocarina up to my lips and play the final key to opening the Door of Time. The notes are a sad and haunting tune this time around as they bounce off the stone walls of the temple. As the last notes fade, I mentally whisper the words that I knew to be true my entire life.

I never stopped trusting you, Zelda.

I can feel her sigh in my head. Not out of relief, but something else that I can't pinpoint. Her next words have me reeling and gazing at her in wonderment. She wasn't given the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing.

It's a fake, Link. The stone is fake.

Before I get the chance to question her, there's a cracking sound. The sound resembles the cracking of thin ice over a frozen pond. All attention is drawn to the Spiritual Stones as the Kokiri's Emerald splinters, tiny fissures spider webbing through the circular jewel. The golden Y frame holding the emerald in place deteriorates and crumbles away. A viridian green light courses through the jewel before it shatters. The other two stones stop their rotation and lay flat on the altar, useless without their third counterpart.

Every set of eyes are on the fragmented remains of the mockery green stone as tiny shards fall to the floor. It takes Ganondorf a moment to realize what this signifies and in that brief moment, Zelda decides to act. With the guards' attention distracted, she takes the chains connected to her shackles and yanks on them.

The guards are too late to grab ahold of them again. Zelda wraps the chain around one guard's throat, pulling it taut and cutting off his air supply. As he falls limply to the ground, the other guard has gathered his bearings. He lunges at her with his dagger and she lifts her bound hands up, catching the blade in the gap of her shackles. She twists her wrists, simultaneously breaking the chain and disarming her assailant. With free hands, Zelda takes the dagger and plunges it into the only place vulnerable—the crook of the guard's neck.

All of this happens in a span of a few seconds.

Two guards down, two guards and one angry pig to go.

Pandemonium breaks out and everyone makes a grab for Zelda, including my guards. I'm completely forgotten about as they draw their weapons, which is their first mistake. Moving quickly, I'm able to wrap my chains around both of their ankles and pull their feet from beneath them. I'm on them before their armored bodies hit the floor with a crash, unsheathing daggers from each of their belts and sinking them deep into their exposed necks.

I'm too late to stop Ganondorf from attacking Zelda though. His sword unsheathes with a hiss as he swings it down at her. She's already moving, her Sheikah skills taking over as she twists and rolls out of the sword's path. With her back now facing Ganondorf, he takes the opening and slashes again. I'm there in two strides though, bringing my hands up and performing the same maneuver as Zelda did.

Instead of disarming Ganondorf, his blade slices straight through the chains of my shackles. There's a moment of relief as Ganondorf recovers and I take that time to scope out the area. Each fallen guard has a sword, so if I can just get to one—

A dark blur darts past me and is scooping up a forgotten weapon before I can finish my thought. Zelda now stands with a sword in hand, where she got the strength is unknown to me, but I don't question it. She takes a swipe at Ganondorf and he stops her attack. He's distracted, which allows me to equip myself with a weapon of my own. I grab the nearest sword and lunge at Ganondorf. By now he's pushed Zelda back far enough to prepare and successfully block the blade meant for his backside. He grins at me from across our clashed swords, laughing evilly.

"Two against one isn't really fair, now is it? Let me be the one to even the odds." His foot comes up and connects with my stomach, sending me sprawling on the floor. My head cracks against the tiled floor and black spots invade my vision. I blink my eyes, trying to regain my vision as I hear Zelda yell a battle cry. Ganondorf's foreboding words come back to me and I make the connection easily enough. My eyes are only closed for a moment, but in that moment I hear a sword slice skin and then a sword clatter to the ground.

I blink several times and my vision sways and blurs. The temple has gone eerily quiet as my eyes focus enough to make out forms. And color.

Red. So much red and it's all coming from Zelda.

The haze over my eyes lifts in time for me to witness Zelda crumpling to the ground, blood spilling from the gash in her stomach.

Something inhuman rips through my throat as I jump to my feet and charge Ganondorf. The blade slices deep through his padded armor, but not inflicting damage. He whirls around, swinging his sword horizontally through the air as he does. I duck while simultaneously stabbing at him. For a big person he's quick on his feet as he jumps back. We circle each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

I nearly lose my stony demeanor when I hear Zelda's voice whisper in my mind.

He can be killed, Link…Even without the Master Sword…

How is that possible?

I block a heavy blow aimed towards my head before leaping back, moving so I'm out of his reach once again.

As of right now…he does not hold the Triforce…so he is mortal…

Zelda's mental voice is weak and dwindling. I risk a glance at her fallen form. Her half-lidded eyes stare unseeingly up at the ceiling and blood pools underneath her, the deep red of it staining the tiled floor.

Just hold on a little longer, Zelda, please.

She doesn't respond, but her free hand shakily moves to her neck where she grasps something. I don't get the chance to see what it is because by now Ganondorf has decided to charge again, forcing me to fend off his attack. Our swords clash together and we stay like that, matching each other's strength.

"She's dying, Hero. What's it going to be? Fight me or save her?" He laughs in my face, loving the way the situation is turning out. I don't grace him with a response; instead I counter his attack with one of my own.

I lean back and duck out of our standoff, twisting around his side to stand behind him. He stumbles forward and I see my chance. I run and leap up into the air, pointing my sword down into a finishing blow. Ganondorf anticipates this and spins around to face my approaching form. The cheeky bastard grins.

He swings his sword up and, with the blunt side, sweeps it across my path. It hits me dead center on my side and sends me sailing through the air. I hit the wall and expel all my air, leaving me winded and struggling for air. He could have easily killed me right there, but instead he choose to use the dull side of his sword. He's toying with me. He's dragging out my death. Too bad for him I don't plan on dying here tonight. Can't say the same for him, though. I climb to my feet while keeping a watchful eye on his impending form.

I need to get to Zelda without leaving myself open in the process. Before Ganondorf can take another step towards me, I summon the gales of Farore's Wind. Gusts of wind so strong even Ganondorf can't stay planted in one spot come rushing through the temple. As he's temporarily distracted, I take the few necessary strides towards Zelda's inert form. I cast Nayru's Love around us in case Ganondorf recovers from the tempest brewing. A transparent blue crystal encases us, spinning slowly and soundlessly.

I drop to my knees and go to cradle her head when she inhales sharply. Her eyes search the ceiling blindingly and her hands clutch at her wounded stomach. I turn my gaze away from her mutilated abdomen, reaching out a hand to touch her face, smoothing her bangs away. Her pain filled eyes stare back at me as I feel my adrenaline wear off, leaving me cold and weak, but not as cold and weak as Zelda will be.

She's dying right in front of me.

No, she can't be dying, she can't.

She's Zelda and Zelda doesn't die.

She's not supposed to die. It should be me with a gaping hole in my stomach and not her.

Goddesses, why is it her?

"Zelda…" I whisper, my voice on the verge of cracking. She gives me possibly one of the warmest smiles ever, even if she is dying.

No, she isn't dying.

Zelda doesn't die.

You can beat him, Link…

Not without you. Courage can't defeat Power without Wisdom.

You've done it…once before. Why should this time…be any different?

I shake my head, denying her words. I know I can beat Ganondorf. It's what comes afterwards that I won't be able to defeat. The loneliness will settle in. Without Zelda, I'm the only one who remembers our story—our legend. Of course the Sages are still here, but they're not Zelda. I'll be nothing without her.

I can't lose you, Zelda, I can't…

Her hand twitches in the slightest and my eyes catch the quick flicker of light reflecting off of glass. I uncurl her fingers, disregarding the blood staining them, and feel the smooth surface of glass. I bring the vial up to eye level so I can see what exactly is in it. It's hard to make out and it takes a moment for my mind to come up with what I'm looking at.

Great Fairy Tears.

My initial thought is how she could have possibly gotten her hands on something as pure and powerful as Fairy Tears. But then my mind is reeling at what Great Fairy Tears have the potential to do: healing properties beyond comparison.

Without wasting any more time, I uncork the stopper and do something that I swore never to do: I falter. How should these be administered? Straight to the wound or does she have to drink them? Oh what I wouldn't give to have the Triforce of Wisdom right now. Thinking back to my traveling days, potions had to be ingested, but fairies only had to circle the wound or ailment and it was healed.

Decision made, I pour the few droplets of tears straight onto her wound, hoping I chose correctly. I watch the tears trickle over and into the punctured flesh, leaving a wet trail in their wake. The tears emit a soft glow of white light and then extinguish themselves. Just when I think the tears have healed her, something strange happens. There's a pressure in my head for a split second before it seeps away. It's not the cold tendrils of Ganondorf's vile mind. It's warm. It's welcoming. It's comforting.

It's fading.

Zelda's fading.

Mentally, I grasp for her presence, trying to hold onto it, onto her life. But like air, it slips through my fingers, untouchable.

I look at her still form, watch for an inhale or an exhale, but there's nothing. Her chest has stopped its rise and fall motion. One hand is still clenched into a fist over her stomach; the other lays limp by her side. Her crystalline blue eyes glaze over, seeing nothing.

Zelda?

A cord snaps in my head, our connection broken, shattered and she's gone. There's a void in my head where her presence should be, but it's just me in my head. Just me.

I was too late.

The Fairy Tears weren't enough.

I've failed.

Zelda? Zelda!

"Zelda, no please, no…I'm sorry, so sorry. Please come back…"

My grip slackens and my sword clatters to the ground, the sound resonating in the silent cathedral. I can no longer keep my head up and let it bow towards the floor. Everything drains out of me, including the power to maintain the spells going. Nayru's Love fades, leaving me exposed, defenseless. The air is still, the wind dying down. Ganondorf laughs at my hollow expression, coming to a stop at my withered form.

"How does it feel, Hero? How does it feel knowing you couldn't save her? Your queen is dead." He rests his sword on my shoulder, the sharp steel biting into my skin and drawing blood. I feel no pain. "And now the Hero of Time will follow his queen to the gates of the Dark Realm." He raises his sword up and brings it down with a roar.

Something stirs within my detached self. My hand tattooed with the Triforce tingles, burns, and then glows. Its golden light shines, traveling up my arm and through my body. Strength that once lay dormant inside me has awakened and along with it my resolve.

Before Ganondorf can comprehend it, I've taken up my sword and darted past him. With unmatched speed, I turn and swipe at his exposed backside, slashing his leg. I swing again but he's brought his sword up to block me. I jump back and watch as he slowly stands, favoring his healthy leg.

"I see you've still got some life in you. I'll end that soon enough."

"You had your chance countless times, but no more. You end tonight, Ganondorf. I'm going to watch the life leave your beady eyes for the last time."

"Is this all because I did the same to your precious queen?"

With speed Ganondorf can't even match, I throw a dagger at him. It lodges itself hilt-deep in his shoulder. He snarls as he rips the knife out and tosses it aside, out of reach.

"Let's finish this, Ganon."

And the battle for Hyrule continues.

A/N: I know Zelda's reasoning on Ganondorf's status may not be correct, but that's just how I see it. Different spin on things. My story, my rules ;)