Oreana stabbed the last Gerudo and fell on her knees, dropping her sword and holding her hand against his bleeding tight. She also had a wound on her side, but that one had been only a superficial scratch. Viacka, Zelda and Oreana were about to ask her how she felt when a beam of light crossed the sky outside. Even though it was still clouded by the smoke, the two beams of light heading into the Barrens from the forest and the lake could be seen perfectly.
"What is that?" asked Tara.
"I don't know," replied Zelda, "but somehow it gives me hope."
"Link must be fighting Garoth," said Oreana, ripping a piece of his clothes and tying it around his tight. "Let's hope he beats him fast."
The orb above was glowing intensely, beams of light erupting from it and dancing all around the arena. Garoth was looking from it to Link with an expression of puzzlement. Taglo gave a step forward toward Link, but Laila fluttered in front of him blocking the way.
"No," she said. "He can't see you now or me in any case. He has turned into a specter of darkness now; he can only see that which belongs to the Dark Realm. Anything that he sees from the Light World he will consider it a threat."
"How do you know that?" asked Taglo, looking straight at her."
"It has happened before," replied the fairy. "Anything that he considers a threat, he will attack it."
Taglo looked at the Dark Link, who was now standing up and looking at Garoth.
"You won't fool me with your new trick!" said Garoth, looking at Link with contempt.
Link looked around him; he could see Garoth hovering a few feet away in front of him; there were two dark shadows several feet to his right: one of them was very small, the other one was larger. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as he saw the gray distorted world around him. The only thing that was bright enough was Garoth, draped in a mantle of fire, raising his hand to charge a new mass of energy.
He ran forward as fast as he could and jumped into the air; Garoth tossed the energy orb at him but Link swung his sword, deflecting it back to its caster. Taglo saw the mass of energy hitting a surprised Garoth and, as the Emissary hovered there stunned by the beams of light, he shot a Silver Arrow at him.
Link landed on the floor and saw a beam of light going through Garoth, when he fell on the ground. Link slashed his sword several times at him and, with a sudden roar, Garoth stood up and swung his sword at Link, who was taken by surprise and was sent into the wall again.
Link stood up in pain, and he felt the wetness of the blood that dripped down his forehead. He ran toward Garoth who, in turn, ran toward Link; both of them raised their swords and clashed them with a shower of sparks and flames.
"So you DO have evil and darkness in your heart…" said Garoth with a smirk, as he and Link pushed their swords trying to break the other's stance. "But it is time for my Master to rise again." He pushed harder and Link stumbled as Garoth managed to break his defense. As he recovered, he realized that Garoth was holding the crystal orb with the Triforce of Power; before anyone could understand what he was doing, he placed the jewel in a small pedestal on top of the platform and the golden triangle inside disappeared.
"NO!" replied Link. Another beam of light pierced Garoth, who stumbled back and fell on the ground.
The golden orb of light above emitted the most intense glow and a beam of light was shot toward Link, who immediately felt how he returned to normal as the brightness involved him. He saw the world going back to normal and Garoth panting, a dot of light from the last Silver Arrow shining in the middle of his chest. Without wasting any more time, Link ran forward, leaped into the air and sunk his blade straight through the Emissary's heart, the tip of the sword sticking of from his back.
Link released the sword and walked backwards as he saw Garoth shaking in pain and anger, the blade still driven through his heart. A voice then spoke from within the orb of light:
"Now, Hero of Hyrule, reflect my Sacred Light at the Emissary of Darkness."
Link ran into the beam of light and grabbed his mirror shield; turning around, he pointed it at Garoth, who was immediately engulfed in the light that was reflected by the shield's polished surface. He let out a scream of rage, twisted in pain and, with a tremendous shockwave that sent Link flying and slamming against Taglo who was running toward him, Garoth's flames vanished.
Oreana stood up fast when she heard Viacka's gasp, and all four of them saw as the barrier that kept them locked disappeared.
"The barrier…" said Tara. "It's gone!"
"Link!" cried Zelda with delight.
"Come, we must leave, the Castle is still not safe!" said Oreana.
"Is he…?" muttered Laila, while Link and Taglo groaned from the floor.
Garoth's eyes were empty, the fire in them gone; Taglo and Link stood up as they saw Garoth fall sideways; his body was like a scorched piece of coal. Link walked up to him and tried to pull out his sword but, as soon as he extracted it, the blade turned into ashes. Link dropped the hilt and turned around to look at Taglo, but he and Laila were looking right above him.
Link looked up and saw a Spirit of Light floating above him; it looked like a gigantic golden eagle. As Link walked toward his friends the spirit turned into an orb of golden light again and a strong beam erupted from it into the black cloud above. Link, Taglo and Laila felt how they were sucked into the light and they closed their eyes.
The cloud that covered the Barrens in darkness started to dissipate, the sky was once more clear and, all around Hyrule, people pointed at the beam of light that was now crossing the sky, driving away the clouds of smoke that involved Hyrule Field, heading toward Kakariko Village.
Impa opened her eyes as the beam of light hit the shrine of Eldin; Link and Taglo were tossed out of the beam and fell onto the water of the shrine, both unconscious; then, another column rose into the black cloud above.
After a few seconds, all of Hyrule had been released from the mantle that covered it. When the pillar of light vanished, and the spirit smiled at Impa.
"Eldin…" said the Sage. "You brought company."
"I think it was too late," replied the spirit. "The Emissary released the Triforce of Power."
They looked at each other for a few seconds and then their expressions turned grim.
"You feel it too?" asked Impa.
"Yes," replied Eldin. "A great power still stirring in the desert."
"Impa," called Zurlo in her mind.
"Impa, what is this power that we feel?" asked Joy.
Impa simply lowered her head, for she had felt this power before.
The colossal room deep under the Forsaken Fortress was completely empty. Suddenly, a light began to glow in the ceiling and a shining golden triangle started to descend into the black stone coffin right beneath; once it touched it, the triangle dissolved and there was a loud explosion. Pieces of stone were sent flying all over the room, as a black cloud filled it entirely. When the fog dissipated, a large strong-built bald man with dark skin, red beard and bright yellow eyes was standing where the coffin had been. He put on the armor and cape that was on the statue behind him and hung the sword from his waist.
As the man looked at the back of his hand, he saw a golden triangle shining intensely on the back of it; his evil laughter echoed all around the fortress, and all the way into the land of Hyrule his power could be felt.
A/N: to those who thought the story would end with Garoth's demise I say, SERIOUSLY? xD come on! what is Hyrule without Ganondorf!? It's like having Mario without Bowser, or Pac Man withough the colored anoying ghosts!
jlima: thanks for the compliment bro! I never thought of my story as a 'work of art' as you say it, but you honor it with the description.
Stay tuned! We're still far from the ending!