I'll keep this brief - this is probably the longest chapter in the story, and at first, I didn't think I would include anything like this at hte end of the story. But I'm happy with how it turned out, and I hope you are too! I just wanted to explain a little bit… I felt that the final boss battle was a little too easy, and I was disappointed that the Master Sword didn't play as much of a role. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE this game so much! But this is my idea about how the final boss battle should have gone…
After this, there will be an epilogue... and then the story is over! Thank you all for sticking with me! ( :
25. Calamity Ganon
A bright golden light flickered, blinding for a moment before fading, pulsing softly.
"Link… I'm sorry… but my power isn't strong enough…"
The Princess' voice echoed through his mind as he stared, repulsed, at the bulbous mass hanging from the ceiling of the inner sanctum… like the egg sack of a massive spider. Khana's grip on his hand tightened.
"I can't hold him…"
Laser beams shot from the sack, firing all across the room, marking an angry, molten red cross over the ground. Link flinched, eyeing the sack with trepidation. Here it comes.
Lines of pure blue light swirled over the sack for a moment before vanishing. Steam hissed from the marks they'd made. The sack twisted for a moment, undulating with a sickening squelch; then it broke, spewing Malice in every direction. Something tumbled down from the ceiling, something large, many-legged; it crashed into the floor and broke through, destroying what remained of the dilapidated room. Link gasped in surprise, feeling nothing beneath his feet and gravity tugging him downwards before Khana yanked him into the Gash.
"Sorry," she swallowed tightly, her hand tightly clasping his as she guided them swiftly, safely, downwards. "I know you didn't want to use this right now—"
"But otherwise I'd be a pulp on the ground," Link finished with a grateful smile. "Try to distract him for a moment while I recover, alright?"
She nodded. They rocketed downward, tumbling down after the mass of evil descending below them. Through an ancient pit, a counterpart to the pit that led to the Moon Chamber, down and down and down until the pit widened into a massive circular hall glowing with Malice. Link winced.
Khana snapped her fingers, pulling out a thin scarf. The same that Link had used when confronting the Divine Beasts—filled with pools of Malice as they were, he wouldn't have been able to breathe otherwise.
"Thanks," he murmured, wrapping it over his mouth and nose. Khana attempted a smile, but it was strained; he could see fear in her eyes. His heart burned. "We can do this," he promised, squeezing her hand. "We've vanquished the Blights and freed the Divine Beasts. We'll vanquish Ganon, too."
She didn't respond. They'd arrived at the bottom of the pit; with a twist she released the two of them back into reality. Link doubled over, involuntarily gripped with nausea; he gasped through the scarf, eyes closed, as he heard Ganon shuffling around, growling. Oh, Din… he sounds big…
At last he opened his eyes.
And half-wished he hadn't.
Ganon…
A massive beast, bulging with glistening muscles formed of pure Malice, towered over him, fixing him in a soulless golden stare. His face was vaguely humanoid, crooked and misshapen and toothy, engulfed by a wild mane of blood-red hair, like a lynel's mane. Most of its arachnid legs ended in weapons—swords, a claw, a fiery blade at least five times longer than Link was tall, even a limb that ended in a guardian's eye. Only one limb ended in a normal five-fingered hand—and that hand grasped a long spear gleaming with guardian tech.
They stood for a moment regarding each other. Ganon sneered, his features grotesque. "Hero," he growled, his voice sending daggers through Link's mind. "We meet at last. I'm… disappointed."
Link forced himself not to cry out, measuring his breaths and storing the pain away, deep down inside of his soul. No time for that now. "If you're anything like your Blights—"
He was cut off abruptly by a sudden blue light descending from the pit. Moonlight? Down here?
"Link!" Khana snatched his hand and pulled him away from the center of the room, just as a hailstorm of bright blue laser beams tumbled down into the room, right into Ganon's upturned face. "It's the Divine Beasts—they're attacking!"
He could barely hear her over the deafening explosions and Ganon's unearthly screeches of pain. As shrapnel flew all around them from laser beams not quite on their mark he slid his shield from his back and pulled Khana down to crouch beside him on the ground; they huddled together as the torrential attack carried on and on and on until at last… silence fell.
"Remember our plan," Khana whispered, giving his hand a final squeeze before vanishing again. Link got to his feet. I won't forget.
Ganon lay on the ground, twitching feebly, Malice spewing from wounds across his torso. But as Link watched, sliding the Master Sword from its sheath, the monster pushed himself to his feet and shook slightly, like a wet dog trying to dry off.
"Cheap trick," he snarled. "But you'll find I'm far stronger than a mere barrage of pretty lights." And with a grating roar, he lunged forwards, impossibly fast.
Link ducked beneath the spear and thrust his blade upwards, carving a line in Ganon's—torso? Thorax?—before lunging to his feet and backpedalling as Malice dripped down. Khana appeared in midair and landed, blade pointed down, on Ganon's back before vanishing again. Link darted forwards and hacked at Ganon's shoulder before the beast reared up with a frustrated roar and brought his fiery blade sweeping downwards.
Link dodged the weapon but didn't expect the massive fireballs it left in its wake, engulfing the ground in flames. He ran, not fast enough—pain seared up his leg and he grimaced, teeth clenched, smacking his flaming trousers with the flat of his blade until Khana appeared at his side, snatching a flask of water they hadn't used in their travels from the Gash and pouring it on his calf.
"Th—" he bagan, then yanked her down as Ganon's spear shot towards them, missing by a hair. Their eyes met for a moment—Din, he's so much stronger than we thought!—before Khana disappeared again.
Ganon swung his flameblade once more but this time Link dashed forwards instead of backwards, ducking beneath the weapon and thrusting his blade upwards, opening a deep wound in the monster's shoulder before sprinting backwards again as Khana reappeared, gravity once more tugging her downward to stab deep into Ganon's back. Ganon roared, twisting around, but Khana was already safe in the Gash.
Link sprinted forwards again while Ganon was distracted, ignoring the pain in his burned calf, but Ganon backpedalled just in time, gaining only a shallow gash along the side of his face. Ganon backed away once more as Link charged; it raised its guardian canon and aimed briefly before firing. Link leapt to the side, avoiding the first blast; the second he caught on his shield, and the third he parried back at the monster.
Ganon shuddered, reeling from the blow, dazed; Link and Khana closed in, blades ramming for Ganon's face-down head, but the thick mane of crimson hair got in the way, protection of sorts; as Ganon began to move, to get back to his feet, Link thrust downwards with all of his strength and felt the Master Sword pierce flesh.
Ganon flinched away, screeching, and flung out one of his limbs, catching Khana in the side and sending her hurtling through the air, colliding violently with the wall and sliding down, groaning.
"No!" Link roared, torn for a moment between going to his wife's aid or attacking Ganon. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of blue—he dashed a way, out of range, a moment too late, and pain erupted in his lower back and he stumbled forward, falling to his knees.
Khana staggered to her feet, clutching her chest but otherwise seemingly unharmed. Link hastened to stand, hissing at the burn of pain in his back; teeth clenched he turned back to Ganon in time to see the canon aimed right at him. Link yanked his shield back over his chest and the blast glanced off of the bottom edge before colliding solidly with his stomach, sending him staggering backwards before landing hard on the ground, the wind knocked from his lungs.
But Ganon did not take advantage of the opportunity, instead raising two limbs high above his head as his body flared orange; for the briefest instant the outline of a crimson shield appeared around him. He jabbed his spear forwards and Link rolled to the side before surging to his feet, wheezing heavily, but Khana's scream filled his ears and his blood ran cold. He wasn't aiming at me!
This time he didn't deliberate, sprinting as fast as he could to Khana's side and gripping her hands as she stumbled back against the wall. Blood seeped through her tunic from a gash in her side, a few inches beneath the leather armor she wore over her chest. "Is it deep? Are you alright?" Link asked frantically, fear stronger than any he'd ever known before searing his heart. Quickly he tore a strip from his scarf and bound it tightly over her side.
"Link!" Khana hissed, violet eyes burning. She shoved him forcefully to the side in time to save him from getting skewered on the end of Ganon's spear. "I'll be fine—we can't deal with this now!"
He nodded, his throat dry, heart hammering fiercely beneath his ribs. She's right. Gotta focus. "Be careful," he pleaded, before turning back to face an amused Ganon.
Khana scoffed. "You're one to talk!"
Fair point. But he didn't linger on that thought a moment longer as Ganon attacked again, swinging his flameblade and sending out massive rolling fireballs. Feeling his calf ache at the sight Link forced himself to run, run, as fast as he could, pushing himself to the limits to outrun the flames hot on his heels. Eventually they'll get soaked up by the Malice on the walls, like last—
A limb ending in a short sword flashed down towards him and he choked in surprise, diving down into a roll and coming up behind the blade, right under Ganon's belly. Yes! Quickly he thrust the Master Sword up but it rebounded against the orange of Ganon's flesh, suddenly as hard as rock. Link staggered backwards, off balance, and Ganon reacted quickly, releasing his spear and grabbing Link in one massive fist.
"Mighty hero," Ganon mocked, tightening his grip. "You will die now, here, helpless before me."
Link struggled, teeth clenched, his arms tightly pinned to his sides. He could feel his ribs forced inwards; his vision whirled as his air was cut off, and he groaned breathlessly, staring deep into Ganon's soulless eyes. No… no…
A sudden sickening snap, and pain shot through his chest, but he lacked the air to cry out. Instead his eyes watered; hsi features twisted in a grimace of agony even as Ganon tightened his grip further.
A streak of blue cut across his wavering vision and Ganon roared in pain, dropping him to the ground as his own spear lodged itself in his chest. Growling, he yanked it back out and held it tightly in his hand, glaring furiously down at a ferocious Khana an instant before she vanished.
And reappeared before he could get his shield back up, slamming her blade deep down into his back once again.
Link staggered to his feet, clutching his chest in pain, quickly assessing the damage. Cracked rib, at the very least… could've punctured… no way to tell for sure….
He did not, as he had in times past, feel blood gathering in his lungs. A blessing. Alright… I'm not going to die.
With renewed wariness he watched as Ganon shook himself, raising two limbs above his head and regenerating his shield before turning to Link with fresh hatred.
"Two against one," he grumbled. "Not fair!"
"Have you seen yourself?" Link muttered, adjusting his grip on his shield.
Ganon chuckled darkly and raised his canon once more, pausing a moment to aim before launching a series of short, rapid blasts. Link ducked beneath his shield for the first few and then parried the last ones back at the monster, sending them piercing through the fiery orange shield. Ganon hissed, staggering, struggling to recover as Khana appeared and pierced downwards and Link darted forwards, aiming right for Ganon's head, between the eyes. No mistakes this time!
But Ganon was ready. With a cackle he flung his weaponized limbs outwards, flameblade and long, guardian spear; Khana stumbled backwards just in time to escape death with a gash across her shoulder blades, instantly cauterized by the heat of the weapon, and the spear pierced Link's upper arm deep, scraping bone, but he regained his balance as quick as he could and ignored the cold agony, charging forwards, undeterred. Yelling out a ferocious battle cry he leaped upwards, raised the Master Sword high, and drove it deep between Ganon's fiery eyes.
Silence fell for a split second. Then Link yanked out his weapon and staggered back, hissing and letting the sword fall to the ground as the pain in his right arm made its presence known.
Ganon screeched, writhing violently, limbs flailing as Malice gushed from the wounds across his body, pouring forth unnaturally fast and thick, glistening on the ground. Beams of magenta light pierced from his body, sending light arcing through the cave-like chamber, and he exploded into goop and a dark crimson fog.
That fog, the cloud of him that remained, slowly began to rise, spiralling up the shaft down which it had first fallen.
"Is it… is he gone?" Khana asked breathlessly, holding her side with a pained grimace.
Link swallowed tightly, eyes narrowed. "I don't—"
A scream shattered through his mind and he crashed to his knees from the shock of it, gripping his head. The Princess' scream. "Ganon! Ganon! He's given up on reincarnation to assume his pure, enraged form—LINK!"
"It's not over," Link panted, shaking his head and looking up at Khana. "We have to get outside…"
Khana looked at him anxiously. "The Gash, then?"
Link nodded, wincing at the flare of cold pain in his arm, taking her hand in his.
The shadow world closed in around them and they shot up out of the shaft, following the undulating cloud of Malice steadily gaining size and substance over Hyrule Field. Link closed his eyes, feeling dizzy as they descended, and when the familiar nausea took him he knew they'd returned to reality. Slowly he sank to his knees, head bowed, until the feeling passed. Wind whooshed across his frame, chilling the sweat drenching his body, and he opened his eyes.
Hyrule was bathed in an unnatural scarlet sunset. Flecks of Malice, drifting sparks in the breeze, fluttered over the tall grass. Clouds darted across the sky, much too fast, much to wispy and insubstantial.
Zelda's voice murmured in his ears, low and hoarse as if utterly exhausted. "Ganon… was born out of a dark past. He is a pure embodiment of the ancient evil that is reborn time and time again… if set free upon our world the destruction will be unlike anything we've ever seen before!"
Link swallowed tightly, holding Khana's hand in his. In the center of the field, the cloud of Malice that was Ganon was taking shape, growing tall, taller than the tallest spires of the castle… taller, it seemed, than the mountains themselves. Corded muscle of taut Malice burst into existence, forming legs, a tail, a massive head and equally massive tusks.
A boar, composed partly of pure violet light, and partly of oozing Malice and ethereal crimson flames.
A beam of pure white light shone down from the heavens, piercing through the crimson haze over the land. Link squinted, looking upwards, to see a beautiful golden bow in the shape of a half-moon coalescing from the pillar of shining white. Zelda's voice spoke again… "I entrust you with the Bow of Light—a powerful weapon in the face of evil. Link… you may not yet be at a point where you have fully recovered your power or all of your memories… But courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten."
Powerful words, Link thought, feeling a rush of emotion in his soul. Indeed, as he had learned, he didn't need to remember who he once had been in order to confront his fears. Quickly he reached up and snatched the bow from the air with his good arm, discarding his battered shield in the grass.
Khana moved her hand up to his shoulder. "Are you ready for this?" she asked softly; he could hear the fear in his voice.
Link forced a smile to his face, despite the fatigue, despite the fatigue. "As long as you are," he murmured, pulling his scarf down for a moment to plant a quick kiss on her forehead before starting forwards. Ganon seemed confused, disoriented, looking around over the land. So far he had not moved from where he'd formed.
A sudden familiar whinny sounded in his ears and he whirled in surprise, feeling a jerk in his chest as Mist galloped gracefully over the fields towards them, a broken halter rope trailing out behind her.
"Incredible horse," Khana marvelled, eyes wide, reaching a hand out to greet the little mare.
"Link!" Zelda yelled in his mind, sounding impatient. "What are you waiting for?!"
Link turned away from his horse, looking down at the beautiful bow in his hand. There was a sinking feeling in his heart as his sword arm twinged with pain; he could feel the hot blood streaming down the limb. Teeth clenched, he attempted to pull the bowstring back, but pain seared his arm and he dropped it with a hiss of pain. Well… that's fantastic.
But a plan was beginning to form in his mind, even as Ganon took a slow step towards them, eyes flaming. "Khana… I can't use the Bow of Light. Not with my arm like this."
She looked at him anxiously, eyes flicking to his blood-drenched arm before hesitantly she took the weapon. "Arrows?" she questioned, pulling the string back and testing the draw strength. Then she gasped as a thin beam of light appeared, an arrow already nocked. "...Alright."
Ganon roared, shaking the ground as he took another step forward. Link swallowed tightly. Zelda, what exactly is your plan here?
"That energy covering Ganon's body is called Malice. None of your attacks will get through as he now is… I will hold the Malice back as much as I can, but my power is waning. I will only be able to weaken a few specific areas; fire at those, and perhaps it will weaken him enough to enable me to seal him away!"
"Okay," Link muttered, turning back to Khana. "The Princess will show you where to shoot. I'll try to attack with the Master Sword on the ground; hopefully our combined efforts will be enough to defeat him."
Khana shuddered as Ganon stepped towards them. "Link, I… he's… how can anything we do be enough against this?"
Link took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "I don't know. But whatever happens can't be worse than not trying at all." Reluctantly he released her hand and gripped Mist's withers, pushing himself up onto her shoulders with a grimace. Khana offered him a shaky smile before stepping into the Gash.
Ganon stepped closer. Link patted Mist's neck, feeling her shift beneath him. "Ready for this?" Her ears twitched back towards him; drawing the Master Sword, he nudged her sides, and she launched into a steady canter.
"Link, what are you doing?" Zelda demanded in his mind. "The Bow of Light is the only thing I know of that can pierce Malice—"
"The Blade of Evil's Bane," he reminded her. "What's the point of me having it, of me being able to pull it from the ground, if it was useless against Ganon?"
"I… hadn't thought about that."
"And anyways," Link continued, holding tight to Mist's mane and halter rope with his free hand and gripping her sides with his knees as she charged over the grass, "I can't draw a bow right now. But I'm not about to let that stop me from confronting Ganon. I won't leave you and Khana to fight this thing alone."
Zelda didn't respond right away; he heard her sigh. "As you wish, then. May you be victorious!"
Link nodded grimly, eyes narrowing as he charged. Mist was drawing closer to Ganon's legs; teeth clenched he swung the Master Sword, cutting deep into the monster's ankle and sending a spray of Malice spurting forth. Mist whickered anxiously, putting on an extra burst of speed to get away, but she did not hesitate to run right up next to another massive leg, allowing Link to attack again. Brave horse.
He would be lying to himself if he thought he wasn't afraid. Here they were, a battered knight and a hundred-year old teenager and the one person in the world that he cared for above everyone else.
The three of them, against a mountainous creature formed of sheer evil. A creature eons old, as old as the world itself, bent on nothing but destruction.
The three of us, battling for the fate of the world.
But in the face of such a threat, fear… fear had no place. Not when it could stop him from doing what needed to be done.
I may be different; I may be beaten and exhausted and different. Mist's heavy panting breaths sounded loud in his ears; streaks of light shot through the sky towards golden rings littering Ganon's body. Link slashed powerfully at the inside of Ganon's calf even as the monster took another step forward, northward. But that doesn't mean I'm weak or powerless. Especially now.
The Master Sword shone brightly in his grasp and a surge of hope and a liberating sense of self-worth washed over his soul. I was chosen by the Blade of Evil's Bane. It knew, the Goddesses knew, that I—that we—could do this!
I will not let them down.
Mist wheeled around, sharply turning back the way she'd come. Back beneath Ganon's body, racing beneath him as he took a massive step forward. Link stretched out his left arm and cut deep into Ganon's legs, twice, three times. Then she emerged, right beneath his head; Ganon's jaws parted, and a familiar beam of blue shot forth—a laser blast. Link's blood ran cold. "Run!" he roared, huddling low over Mist's back as she increased her speed, breathing hard as Ganon's blast trailed behind them, quite literally hot on their heels, sending flames whooshing instantly up from the ground. "Run!"
Mist was flying over the field. Link's heart raced in time to the pounding of her hooves into hard soil and grass. He didn't know if it would be better for them to turn right or left, or to just continue in a straight line; in the space of a split second he tugged Mist's halter rope sharply to the left and she veered away. Glancing over his shoulders he saw that Ganon had turned his head, was glaring down at them, sending a stream of white-hot fire out of his mouth after him.
But only his head was moving to face them—not the rest of his body.
"Hiyah!" Link cried out, digging his heels into Mist's sides and coaxing a fresh burst of speed from her, steadily guiding her around, in a wide loop, back towards Ganon. Mist was flying over the field, but he could feel the heat behind them, could hear the roar of flames as they caught on the grass—Merciful Din, this is the end—
He narrowed his eyes, heart throbbing, feeling Mist tremor beneath him as she sprinted, far and fast, not faster than the flames, but they crossed behind several trees and then behind Ganon's hind legs. Ganon roared in frustration, stamping his foot and sending out a minor earthquake. Link shuddered. Safe for now. "Good girl," he muttered, patting Mist's sweaty neck.
He raised his left hand high, bringing it down as hard as he could as they charged up Ganon's sides again, digging deep into the monster's legs. Ganon flinched away, his movements still sluggish and inelegant as he groaned like thunder and stepped forward again, ever northward.
The clouds above were beginning to coalesce, blocking out the crimson of the sky and casting the world in shadow. Link carved yet another gash in Ganon's ankle. All the better for me—light is not my ally anymore. He turned Mist around and charged back towards Ganon's flaming tail, running close to Ganon's thigh. Link plunged the Master Sword in up to the hilt and let Mist's momentum pull it free, drawing an agonized scream from Ganon's cavernous maw. Out of the corner of his eye he could see flashes of light; Khana and Zelda's seemingly endless attack raged on.
But Ganon didn't even seem to notice, continuing doggedly northwards.
Link ground his teeth together, eyes narrowed at the dark beast; he nudged Mist forwards again and slashed madly at the monster's legs, once more eliciting cries of pain. But still it seemed futile; the Master Sword was limited to strike only as high as Link could reach, meaning that most of Ganon's body remained unharmed. Especially if those light arrows aren't quite doing what we thought they would.
He urged Mist back out from beneath Ganon's stomach and studied the creature for a moment as Khana continued her attack. Those light arrows were doing something, he could see that much at least… The crimson flames that had been licking over the surface of the Malice were nearly nonexistent; even as he watched he saw a beam of light pierce one of Zelda's golden rings, and several more flames sparked into nothingness.
"Ganon's power is weakening!" Zelda exclaimed, relief glowing in her voice. "We're so close!"
Link's eyes narrowed. Are we? Sure, the fire was gone, but Ganon was still walking, albeit slowly, ever northward, undeterred. He was slow; he seemed to be favoring one leg, thanks to the Master Sword… But at this rate, it won't be long before he gets… wherever he's going. He gazed to the north, and lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the distant outline of a stable across two rivers. His blood ran cold. Breen and Kish! Goron City! The Lost Woods!
Eventually Ganon would get there… and send them all up in flames. Link swallowed tightly. Can't let that happen!
He wished he could do more. He wished he could drive the Master Sword straight through Ganon's eyes; he wished he could impale wherever Ganon's heart was; he wished he could end it all.
But I can't. Not right now. All I can do is attack his legs. A flicker of hope pierced his soul. Eventually he won't be able to walk, and if he can't walk, he can't get to Breen and Kish, right?
With renewed determination he nudged Mist's sides and sent her charging towards Ganon. He could feel her tiring, could feel the sweat on her coat mixing with the light rain beginning to fall, could feel a slight weariness in her step. But she did not slow; she galloped after Ganon with just as much fervor as she had before. Amazing horse.
Ganon raised a massive hoof from the ground and Link narrowed his eyes, focusing, trying to see where it would come down. Mist darted forwards and Link raised the Master Sword in preparation; then Ganon roared and his foot crashed down with unexpected force, sending a tremor through the ground.
Link felt Mist falter; she stumbled, tripped, tumbled to the ground. Link let go and fell from her back before he could be trapped beneath her, crashing hard to the ground and rolling several feet before coming to a painful, bruised halt. Quickly he pushed himself to his feet, pressing a hand to his chest at the renewed pain in his cracked rib. Rain pattered down much harder now, quickly soaking into his tunic. Mist got to her feet quickly, looking none the worse for wear, and trotted quickly back to him.
He paused a moment to let his wait rest against her. His adrenaline was fading; the pain of his wounds was making itself known. Can't deal with that now, he told himself, pressing his face into Mist's sturdy shoulder. Can't feel the pain…
He inhaled deeply, eyes tightly closed, focusing hard on putting his mask back up. Not now. Can't feel it. I don't feel it. He sucked in one last deep breath before stepping back, looking into Mist's concerned dark eyes. "I'm not going to ask you to risk yourself again," he told her, patting her neck before turning and limping towards Ganon (who continued onwards even through Khana's and Zelda's attacks). But he heard soft hoofbeats behind him; looking back he saw Mist plodding faithfully after him.
Link shook his head, smiling ruefully. Words failed him—what was there to be said, when Mist had followed him time and time again into danger and pain? He rubbed her nose and met her gaze, hoping that his eyes could convey what his tongue could not.
He pushed himself onto her back once again, and together they charged Ganon once more. Teeth gritted tightly in determination he held the Master Sword high and struck deep into the back of the monster's hind leg, right beneath the ankle; Mist sprinted forwards, and seconds later Link stabbed Ganon's foreleg as well, sinking his blade in all the way to the hilt before letting Mist's speed pull it back out. Ganon howled in agony, rising up on his hind legs—Din curse it!—Link tugged Mist to the side, to the left, out from beneath the monster's body, sprinting over the field as Ganon's forelegs crashed down with enough force to topple trees all around. Mist faltered again but this time managed to regain her footing as Link turned her back around to face the beast.
Something emerged from Ganon's back—a sort of bulbous mass between his shoulder blades. Link's lip curled in disgust.
Zelda gasped in his mind. "Link! Look up there! That's the very core of Ganon's being! We've weakened him enough to expose it!"
"Great! What do we do?" he asked, craning his neck and trying to see.
"The Bow of Light should be enough to destroy it…" Her voice trailed off, and she sounded uncertain. Streaks of light shot through the air, but Ganon did not react, slowly, mindlessly, meandering northwards. Fearfully Link glanced towards the stable; Ganon had reached the first of two rivers separating him from innocent lives. His mouth went dry.
More flashes of light, and then Khana appeared at Mist's side, gesturing hopelessly, bow in one hand. "It's not doing anything," she protested desperately. "The light… it's just absorbed. I can't… I can't do anything!"
Link swallowed tightly. The Master Sword cut right through Ganon's flesh. Perhaps it can destroy this… core. He glanced down at the blade in his hands, glowing a strong cerulean blue, before turning his gaze to the mass on Ganon's back. Zelda, would the Master Sword get through that?
Silence. Khana studied him anxiously; Mist tossed her head, and Ganon took another step northwards.
"I hadn't considered that," Zelda said at last, sounding embarrassed. "We did not have the Bow of Light last time, so I thought it would be the key to Ganon's demise. But clearly, though it has been instrumental in weakening his powers—"
Zelda! Link cut her off, sliding down from Mist's shoulders. Now is not the time for a scientific analysis of the situation! There will be more than enough time for that afterwards—if we make it that far!
"Right! Of course!" She paused. "In that case I believe the Master Sword, as it is said to repel evil, will indeed be effective. Do what you must, Link!"
Link nodded, inhaling deeply. "Khana… can you get me up there?"
"Using the Gash? Are you sure?" She gripped his uninjured arm, violet eyes practically glowing with uncertainty. Ganon took another step forward. "Link, that's… that's a lot of Malice."
He forced a cheesy grin across his face. "And I have a sword that repels evil. It'll be fine. And we're running out of options." His heart grew warm, and he cupped her face in his free hand despite the twinge of pain. "We've almost won."
Her eyes darted down to the blade glowing in his hand. "This… is the way to end it all…" Her gaze hardened, burning with determination. She tightened her grip on his hand and snatched the two of them into the Gash, soaring upwards, leaving a baffled Mist behind. Higher and higher and higher, flying through dark clouds and streaks of lightning and drops of water frozen in the air, frozen in time, towards the monster that stood wading through the first of two rivers, one hoof raised in preparation to take another step northward. Ganon was so much bigger than he had seemed from the ground; as they floated higher Link saw the details of the grass and Mist's face and the trees down below quickly fading, and yet they had not reached Ganon's shoulders. He felt something stir in his stomach—fear. If I'm wrong… if this isn't enough… then it's all over.
They drew level with Ganon's back at last, and he saw, up close, the bulging mass between the monster's shoulder blades. It was an eye, or rather, one larger eye with other smaller ones all around it. His stomach churned, disgusted. But at least it looks vulnerable…
Khana brought him to Ganon's spine, behind the disgusting eyes. "Ready?" she asked softly, tightening her grip on his hand. She didn't want to let go, and frankly, neither did he.
With his weakness in the face of Malice… he wondered if it would kill him.
But he nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Khana let go, releasing him back to reality, and he dropped to Ganon's back, boots instantly sinking into the oozing Malice as if it were wet mud. Almost instantly he could feel something tingling in his feet, cold and fiery all at once, slowly spreading upwards. Can't be good.
Teeth clenched, he dragged himself forwards, wincing at the revolting sucking sound each time he yanked his feet free. After only a few steps he reached the first eye; it was small, but still larger than his torso. With a roar he swung the Master Sword, piercing its center, and it popped like a bubble, vanishing with a flash of purple smoke. Link coughed painfully and waded to the next eye, and the next, until he was knee-deep in Malice right next to the biggest eye.
The core of Ganon's being. It swivelled, blinked, looked right at him; teeth clenched he slashed at its surface and it blinked rapidly, Malice oozing like tears, but did not disintegrate. This one's more resilient.
He attacked again, and again, and again, the Master Sword a gleam of brightest blue against the angry red and cruel violet. It was getting harder to breathe, even through his scarf; his breaths rasped in his lungs. And he heard a massive splash, a whoosh of water as Ganon stepped into the second river. Heard Ganon suck in a deep breath in preparation, perhaps, to launch a flaming assault. No!
He took the Master Sword tightly in both hands and wrenched his legs free from the Malice, dashing up the side of the massive eye and leaping upwards, pointing his blade downwards. With the full force of his body, every ounce of strength he possessed, he plunged the Master Sword through the eye, past the hilt, and like the others before, it popped. Dissolved into smoke.
And a moment later, Ganon's body followed suit as he roared in fury, and Link suddenly found himself falling, tumbling through a thick cloud of Malice, shooting ever downwards towards the river bellow.
A memory flashed through his mind—dark gray cliffs, shining blue arches, glistening waterfalls, a red-skinned Zora with a gentle face—and instinctively he straightened his body, legs pointed beneath him, arms above his head, making himself as small as possible as he plunged into the water. Sudden painful impact—cold—stinging pain, all across his body—couldn't breathe—numb—
He forced himself to move, striking out upwards towards a gleam of light on the surface. A gentle current tugged at him, tugged at his weary limbs, and he didn't bother to fight it, focusing instead on getting his head out of the water. A cool breeze on his face—he gasped for breath, lungs heaving, sucking in mouthful after mouthful of crisp spring air.
Coughing slightly, exhausted, he dragged himself to shore, content to lie there and lose consciousness and sleep for another hundred years, but a single thought stopped him—Ganon's still there—I fell through him—
He pushed himself to his feet, favoring his burned leg, and limped back towards the field, scampering up a rocky hill, tripping more than once on the uneven ground; when he reached the crest he could see Ganon undulating in the air over the field, piggy little eyes narrowed on a glowing figure standing tall in the grass, one hand raised. Link's eyes widened. Is that…?
A ball of light shot from her hand, swiftly growing, as bright as the sun itself; Link flinched. Ganon roared, flinching away, trying to escape, but the ball of light was too fast, too large; as it reached him it absorbed the cloudy smoke of his body, caging him within as it rocketed through the sky, passing high over Link's head and beyond, farther and farther and higher and higher until at last it was out of sight. The clouds in the sky began to slow; the angry crimson light faded, replaced with the pale cream of dawn on the horizon.
It's over, Link realized, his heart pounding fast in his chest. We've won.