Chapter 32
Divine messenger of Catastrophe
Stone lanterns cast faint firelight over a door embossed in gold. Blood soaked a scarlet carpet.
Shadows prowled in corners; outside, lightning forked across a cloudless, night sky.
In the Tower reeking of warped desires, Link checked the back of his left hand; the Triforce of Courage winked steadily, encouraging him to enter the doors and embrace his destiny. Of all the possible children, he is the one born and trained to shoulder the burden of Courage. Behind him lay two corpses, one monster's fur stood in stiff peaks, hardened by the blood he wiped off the Master Sword.
His entire life he trained for his moment, this crucial battle, however, the surge of importance accompanying the event did not stir his heart. Link knew he should be elated...
He simply wanted to go home. To live a peaceful life with Aryll and Grandma.
The child grinned ferally. He looked forward to a time when killing monsters would be a figment of his nightmares.
Opening the door marked by a golden boar, Link stalked inside and registered Ganondorf leaning over a slumbering Zelda. He gripped his sword tightly. Silk drapes fluttered to and fro, distorting the images of the Triforce Bearers and he craned his neck. Zelda's hair spilled like a sheet of gold over the bed's drapes and with two swords tucked at his waist, Ganondorf simply stared at her. On closer inspection, he sat on a stool and, Link blinked, the Gerudo's fingers hovered over the ivory keys of a piano.
Did power crazed individuals have the patience to learn piano?
A tune wafted in the air, sharp and lonely. A second one joined the first and an entire symphony followed. Despite the noise, Zelda continued sleeping, chest rising and falling rhythmically.
A moat of water separated the center of the room from the edges and wading into it without second thought, Link sliced the sword across the air.
"Cease your piano playing at once!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "What have you done with her?" he demanded, boots reaching the dry, stone island. "Why isn't she waking?" Link slashed the silk drape; it fell limply on the bed, end trailing in the puddle of water.
"She dreams of oceans." Ganondorf's baritone pierced the symphony and his fingers flew faster over black and white keys. "Seas, seas. Oceans and oceans." The tune reached a crescendo. "Oceans and oceans," Ganondorf repeated when the song came to an abrupt end, a shrill split the air, high enough to crack glass. "What did the King of Hyrule tell you?" Rising from the chair, Ganondorf folded his hands inside the robe's billowing sleeves. "Did he say the Gods sealed Hyrule away?" he asked. "Leaving behind people who would one day awake the lost continent? How ridiculous." He threw his head back and laughed, the haunting tone assaulted Link's ears. "So many pathetic creatures, scattered across the handful of islands, drifting across this ocean like fallen leaves on a forgotten pool...what do they hope to achieve?" Link opened his mouth for a counter argument. "Silence boy!" Ganondorf thundered, "Let me speak.
"Don't you see?" The Gerudo paced, ends of his orange hemmed robe dragging across the ground. "All of you...your Goddesses destroyed you!" The water in the moat rippled and Ganondorf's voice softened. "I've been waiting for you boy." Link scowled, he resented being labeled a boy. "For one like you." Bronze irises narrowed at Link and the boy lifted his chin defiantly. "There is something in your eyes that is otherworldly. I have been waiting so long..." the Gerudo broke off and contemplatively regarded the world outside the narrow windows, "Don't you dare disappoint me."
The shadows pooling at Ganondorf's feet converged hungrily over the bed and Link stepped back into the pool of water when the floor trembled. Zelda and the bed sunk into the liquid ground. A grotesque shape solidified behind the gossamer drapes and when the curtains parted, Link cocked an eyebrow at the monstrous puppet roaring in the circular chamber.
Wavelets lapped at his shins, soaking his tights. The puppet monster howled, the scream shattering the windows and blowing candles out, it slammed its boulder arms, creating a tidal wave which doused Link from head to toe.
Brushing the sodden fringe from his eyes, Link contemplated trimming his hair. Puppet Ganon danced on a cat's cradle of strings and its bulbous tail remained well out of Link's reach. Whipping out the boomerang, he retreated to the pool's edge and aimed at the thick ropes.
The boomerang whizzed across the room and sawed through the strings. It flew back into Link's aching hand and he aimed again, rolling to avoid a misshapen appendage from crushing him against the wall. The strings snapped one by one and Puppet Ganon smashed on the floor, tail curled awkwardly to its side. Leaping to the monster with a light arrow nocked into his bow, Link let it soar, smirking grimly when it pierced the target.
Puppet Ganon spasmed in the water. Thin strings of light paralyzed it and it thrashed in the near invisible bonds. Link drew his Master Sword and slew the keese fluttering around his head. A tiny claw scratched his cheek and he leapt, burying the blade in the puppets' forehead.
The monster convulsed, drawing its bulbous limbs in and Link cautiously waited. The Triforce on his hand pulsed erratically, signaling danger. He did not need a winking beacon of light to tell him to stay alert. Puppet Ganon melted and reformed. Its knotty limbs splayed against air and the new form fell, bathing Link yet again.
He glared, the damn spider will pay for soaking him the second time.
Anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach, Link stalked the spider waving through the air. His toes froze in sopping boots and he shivered in the cold tunic wrapping him like a second skin. Misjudging Puppet Ganon's landing area; he slid right in the middle as the shadow descended rapidly. Scrambling out of the way only threw him under the spider's gigantic abdomen.
The creature hammered into him and he gasped in pain, feeling a rib shatter. A metallic taste exploded in his mouth and a crushing pain bloomed on his right wrist. Wriggling out of the concrete weight, Link wheezed when a humungous insect leg slammed on his back.
He swore vehemently and wiped the bloody saliva dribbling from his mouth. The room swayed, water, ceiling and windows becoming one. The spider flickered like a mirage and blinking, Link sunk a light arrow in its cyan spinneret.
Rods of barely perceptible light bound the spider, a flock of keese clawed Link's hair and screaming in frustration, he grabbed a bat and hurled it against the wall. The little furry body exploded into a magic jar.
Sobering, he popped the perforated pitcher and expertly sawed the spider's legs. The thorax twitched. Glazed eyes swiveled to Link and the form boiled into another creature.
Taking the small opportunity while the puppet transitioned from one shape to the other, Link dug in his backpack. He swiftly drowned a potion and coughed when his ribs knitted together, the ache crippling his right had decreased. Grabbing a small tank of alcohol, he rolled his sleeves and poured the stinging fluid over his cuts, swiping his fingers across the incision throbbing on his cheek. Behind him, Puppet Ganon hissed and he worked faster, movements frenzied. The spirits burned, he tore a length of gauze and wrapped the potion soaked bandage across his pounding leg.
Whipping back to Puppet Ganon gliding across the moat, Link lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. Of all the forms Ganondorf could take, he chooses a hairy snake. The monster slithered unpredictably and keeping the cyan orb in sights, Link struck it with a light arrow.
Before he could dissect the spazzing snake, it recovered from paralysis and lunged with jaws wide open; Link jumped back, cursing as it barely missed his head and swallowed the cap whole.
Lamenting the loss of his cap, the hero dodged when the snake rammed past him. Puppet Ganon's speed rose with each consecutive wound and Link climbed to solid ground, bashing his hammer on the snake's head when it torpedoed forward. He panted. The puppet showed no signs of slowing and following the eyesore around became a chore.
Plastering himself against the slate walls, Link bid his time; bow and arrow ready in his hands. The snake sailed at the boundary of the moat, its golden hairs rippling like a field of ripened hay. Aiming slightly left to the cyan orb, Link let an arrow fly, his body tensed to bolt. As soon as the arrow left his bow, he grabbed his sword and charged.
Puppet Ganon petrified, light snaked up its tail, forcing his body into stasis, a mere second later, a silver sword plunged into his brain. The child did not fight neatly, no, he twisted the sword, inching it deeper into the head.
A red velvet cord unraveled from the wooden beams of the ceiling. On top, Ganondorf stood silently.
"Yes, you are surely the Hero of Time, reborn," he whispered and melted into the darkness when Link clawed the rope, irises shining with cultivated hatred. "Your time has come..." Ganondorf's words carried over the splashes of water, "Come now, stand before me."
Robe burns crisscrossing his palms, Link hauled to a platform in the ceiling. Rich wooden beams intersected the top of the tower and an ornate gate, lacquered in ruby and gold, lead outside. Hookshot digging into a target, Link swung to the short walkway, frosty sunlight bled in the corridor.
Dawn broke outside.
He emerged on a wide, circular platform with the continent of Hyrule expanding on all sides. The surreal environment undulated beyond a dome of air surrounding the engraved stage. Everything appeared cyan. Cyan like the Pirate's charm weighing heavily in Link's pocket. Arches of crafted stone spanned from the edges of the tower and if it weren't for Ganondorf's imposing presence, Link would have taken the time to enjoy minute details.
Zelda lay near the Gerudo prince and Link scrutinized the floor for hidden doors or traps. None.
"My country lay within a vast desert," Ganondorf began and Link lowered his sword. "When the sun rose in the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world."
Enraptured by the tale, Link maintained a respectable distance, he worried about Zelda, but somehow, he believed Ganondorf will not harm her.
"And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing...death." Ganondorf closed his eyes; he remembered the desert Kingdom in which he grew up in, surrounded by his mother and a myriad of different aunts. They called him little prince and let him roam free on the dune studded plains of the desert kingdom. He recalled water, a precious commodity, glittering frost encroaching the sand palace walls and people dying in droves, their bodies desiccated by the harsh elements. "The winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin...I coveted that wind I suppose..."
A gentle breeze played with the edges of Ganondorf's robes. He smiled sadly and Link poked the dying embers of an anger inside his chest. The obsessed bearer of the Triforce of Power should be vanquished, yet, why did he sympathize with his sworn enemy?
"It can only be called fate," desperation laced the man's words, "that here I would again gather the three with the crests. That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of a beholder." Ganondorf turned to Link, who gritted his teeth in confusion. "That when power, wisdom and courage come together...the gods would have no choice but to come down." Throughout his monologue, Zelda slumbered on and Link wished her to awaken and counter his warped ideology. "Yes...the power of the Gods, the Triforce, he who touches it, will have whatever he desires granted!" Bronze irises narrowed to Zelda. "Already the crest of Wisdom is mine, all that remains..." Ganondorf glanced at Link's tiny hand wrapping around the hilt of the Master Sword.
Enough!
Link rolled sideways when Ganondorf lashed for him and his sword cut a neat line across the Gerudo's shoulder. He breathed heavily, shaken by both speech and the speed of the attack.
Ganondorf grunted in frustration, a mere child of twelve could not anticipate such a move. The boy before him danced lightly on his feet, pitch irises shifting and anticipating. He ducked when Ganondorf aimed or his head and stabbed the inside of the former's arm when he attempted to draw his swords. Hissing in rage, the Gerudo grasped the Master Blade, blood dripped in his palm.
Letting go of the sword, Link twirled his hammer and flung it at the bearer of power.
It smashed in his barrel chest, bone crackled and Ganondorf bent double, disbelievingly touching the spots of red flecking his lips.
"Who are you?" the man rasped, fear crawling in his eyes like smoke. He smoothly unsheathed his blades; rune etched platinum winking under the sun. "No matter, I will take your Triforce, I have no need to snuff your life."
Picking up his sword and gently nudging a softly snoring Zelda, Link examined his reflection. "I am Link," he held the sword high, "the Hero of Winds." A sarcastic smirk assimilated on his face. "Don't worry; I will put an end to your misery."
Yawning loudly, Zelda tottered to her feet and kicked off her glass slippers. She fixed the cumbersome tiara in her hair all while Link cast a sidelong glance at her. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized and stifled another yawn with a silk gloved palm.
Lips twisting, Link snorted, "Typical, what next?" She rolled her eyes good humoredly and he dropped to a knee, humbly presenting her with the bow and light arrows. Hesitating for a moment, Zelda took them without complaint. "I apologize for putting you through all of this," Link murmured, his eye fixed on Ganondorf, daring the man to interrupt. "I am sorry for imposing my traditions and ideologies on you. Please know I respect you greatly and I would appreciate your help in putting him down."
Taking a step backwards, Zelda gripped the elegant bow and arrows tightly. "But..." she faltered, "I'm not good with archery..." her self-confident visage cracked. "I knew...I knew I was her and I did nothing to take up the Bearer's responsibilities."
Straightening, Link hefted his sword and shield; he rotated towards Ganondorf, who watched the interaction with an unfathomable expression. "I trust you," he said and charged.
A light arrow barely missed Link's throat and he curved away from it, drawing the Gerudo between him and Zelda. Each time the dark skinned man tried to stab the princess, his blade met the Master Sword. Fiercely concentrating, Zelda let another arrow rip and only through sheer skill, did the hero tempt Ganondorf into the line of fire.
The arrow struck true and articulating an almighty scream, Ganondorf crashed to his knees, tangerine sword tassels flowing like ribbons of water. Link slashed his robe into shreds and hatched his chest with deep, painful scars.
If Ganondorf didn't know any better, he thought the child took pride in carving him like the floor. The moment his movement returned, the Gerudo attempted to hack the child's sword arm off, alas, each time, the boy sprang back with a predator's grace and the barest hint of a sly smile shaped his lips.
Damn brat!
Another of those blasted light arrows pierced his palm and disregarding the petrification creeping across his right shoulder, Ganondorf crossed the space between him and the meddling princess and back-handed her. She gasped, saliva coated Ganondorf's fingers and the bow and arrows flew around the edge of the tower, disappearing into oblivion. A deep stab forced him to twist and through the dizziness rocking his vision, Ganondorf closed his vise grip around Link's throat.
Chopped fingers fell to the floor.
Wrenching the arm off, Link continued plunging his blade in the Gerudo's forearm. He sawed at the joint and gave up, herding the disorientated Bearer of power away from Zelda.
In a last attempt, Ganondorf used his intact hand to grab Link's sword arm, he succeeded in snaring the pudgy hand in his grip.
"Mine!" Ganondorf breathed through the tears congealing in his eyes.
Link squirmed and kicked. He slammed his other hand on top of the glowing triangle osmosing out of his skin and shrieked at Ganondorf to let go. In response, the Gerudo laughed.
"Hahaha! You too covet it; we are nothing without the Triforce!"
Devastated by the Triforce separating from him, Link snatched the air for the glowing triangle. Another piece of the Triforce detached from the unconscious Zelda and joined the two golden shards spiraling through the air. Ganondorf dropped Link roughly to the floor and swayed to the converging Triforce, mesmerized by its power and drunk on his wish. The golden triangles loomed larger than life and despite himself, Link slowly rose and admired them.
He often wondered how a person would transform should the Goddess grant all three triangles to a single individual. Would they become a god?
No matter, he massaged his aching arm. He will finish Ganondorf without the use of a Triforce.
He will dictate his destiny.
He will carve his own constellations.
Master Sword ready in hand, Link broke into a run, Ganondorf stood inches away from the overwhelming brilliance of the Triforce, body rigid in ecstasy. Link's mind insisted on the Gerudo not touching the glittering triangles, a disastrous wish will come true.
He leapt, sword outstretched.
And Ganondorf turned as the sacred blade plunged in his forehead.
XXXXX
Lines between right and wrong
Hyrule Castle made for a nasty campground; Link dully concluded as he packed his shredded tent and struggled with the tent pegs Midna drilled into the crumbling, marble floor. The imp commented on every single thing in sight, from the elaborate crystal chandelier hanging above their heads to the frescos - what were those? - hidden in domed arches. Munching on a pear and nodding off handedly, Link transformed into a wolf when his body itched intolerably and howled at the ghoul rats hanging off his skin with their ratty teeth.
Myriads of monsters claimed Hyrule Castle as their new home. Flocks of aeralfos roosted in the inner courtyard roofs and screeched at each other for more territory, while they argued; Link slunk past them, his bowstring drawn for emergency encounters. In darkened corridors, lit only by the occasional candle stub, firelight capered over portraits. Oil painted eyes tracked Link's moves as he attempted to solve the puzzle on his own, failed and implored Midna for help. She huffed, gave him a crash course on the Kings of Hyrule and their contributions throughout the ages and completed the puzzle on her own. Leaving the orange lit corridor and its creepily important people, he despaired at the rows and rows of archer bokoblins aiming a quiver of arrows at his heart.
Not just any arrows, fire tipped arrows. How those things didn't burn the stupid monsters using them, Link wondered.
Before any of the bokoblin archers succeeded in setting Link's tunic on fire, they dropped dead, one by one.
Link envisioned the gaping fishes washed on the beaches of Outset Island. Once, a passing merchant ship spilled toxic metal in the surrounding sea and schools of silver scaled fish died. The waves tossed their limp bodies on the beach and Aryll cried over the not yet dead ones, stroking their slippery little bodies with her dainty fingers.
Rusl's head of golden hair peeked from a corridor underneath the one Link currently scaled. Elated by a familiar face, he leaned over the granite balustrade and waved cheerfully. The Resistance members tilted their head to acknowledge him, and Auru, the old man, stood stiffly with a gigantic cannon hefted on his shoulder. Shad smiled, a blood encrusted dagger in his hand. Ashei swept her sheet of silky black hair backwards, her ebony black sword a blur through a monster's waist. Only Rusl humored Link and waved back, a kind twinkle in his warm blue eyes.
Resolve renewed, Link drowned two bottles of milk, to gives his bones power, and ploughed through a bunch of stalkins dragging their feet sluggishly across the ground. He yelped when the painted tiles crumbled underneath his paws and stemmed the tide of fear threatening to drown him. Leaping from one block to the other, he emerged at the foot of a horribly broken staircase and swallowed a groan of pain as he turned into a human.
"These monsters have no class," Midna commented and picked a gleaming piece of rubble, "this staircase was a beautiful work of art, leading to the Throne room tower. Zelda was imprisoned there." Solemnly holding his clawshot, Link triggered the chain and it bounced off the hard walls. "This isn't your ordinary building," the Twilli folded her hands on his shoulder, "this is Hyrule Castle, you will have to use your brains when trying to infiltrate it." She pointed to a section of caved in wall and the clawshot hook held fast.
Climbing the staircase, Link sung over wide gaps, legs trembling slightly. He focused on the happy things to come. Once Ganondorf was put down...he will go back home and spend an eternity doing absolutely nothing. The adolescent nodded to himself as he mounted the spinner and glowered at the blade traps whizzing on the rails stitched across the palace walls. He deserved a huge holiday after what he went through, each morning he will wake up and help Grandma make elixir soup, he smiled vacantly at his dream, and in the evenings, he will spin stories of his adventures to Aryll.
The stories would be highly edited of course. His beloved younger sister will not have the same scars he was forced to bear.
A helmed darknut stopped his laborious progress through the dilapidated tower. Breathing hard behind a pillar barely concealing him, Link stood there for a good part of the day and memorized the monster's lumbering patterns. Its steel boots left heavy impressions on the royal red carpet and outside broken windows; the sun sunk low, painting the monster and hallways into eerie shadows. Religiously the darknut marched, pausing not for food, water or the need to pee. Come to think of it, Link fumbled with his belt, his bladder was bursting.
Midna snickered at his discomfort.
A whistle cut through the air and twisting just in time to avoid a spade-esque sword aiming for his head, Link quickly zipped his pants and drew the bow, an arrowhead glanced harmlessly off the darknut's armor and translucent, orange rune barriers forced Link and the monster to pace in tight circles around each other. Five circlets ran across the Darknut's foreboding helm and it twirled a slim sword in gauntlet clad hands.
The monster lunged and Link sidestepped, his Light Sword trailed sparks but did no damage. Hissing in annoyance, he retreated against an ivory wall and inwardly shrieked when the monster charged for him. The Darknut clanged against the coat of arms displayed on the wall and an array of spears and a highly embossed shield, crashed on it.
Swallowing a victorious snigger, Link sawed off the armor straps, artfully dancing out of danger, much to Midna's undisguised amusement. When the final breastplate fell, he stabbed wildly, quivering arms coming to a stiff stop atop a monster's ribcage.
He wiped sweat from his brow, adjusted the long cap sliding off his greasy hair and breathed deep. The barriers crumbled, revealing a regal, double height door. Gripping the sword tightly in his left hand, Link touched the gleaming handle and it swung apart soundlessly.
"Welcome to my castle." A porcelain moonbeam illuminated Ganondorf hunched on top of the gold gilt throne. A sword lay horizontally over his thighs and Link remembered to scowl.
Nubs of alabaster littered the velvet carpet draped across the steps leading to the throne. Broken statue heads stared glassily at Link and mindful of their unmoving eyes, Link trotted to catch up with Midna. His companion oozed hatred, evidenced by her tiny, clenched hands and the spiteful glower she leveled at Ganondorf.
"So you are Ganondorf," Midna jeered and raised her chin defiantly, "I have been dying to meet you." Her iris narrowed mockingly.
Rising from the throne with a sweep of his magnificent, gold trimmed cloak, Ganondorf grinned. "Your people have long amused me, Twilight Princess," he paced, the cloak whirling like a jet black shadow across his boots, "to defy the Gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside-" he stopped, "-how very pathetic." Midna growled curses under her breath. "Your people had skill, but sadly, they lacked power," Ganondorf said, his voice filling every inch of the palatial throne room. He raised his fist and Link gulped at the golden triangle flashing on the back of the man's hand. "He who wields such power makes a fitting king for both worlds don't you think?" The Gerudo prince smiled wider, lips stretched by madness. "Shadow has been moved by light..." he paused abruptly in his dramatic soliloquy when Link stifled a yawn. "It seems you are bored," he boomed, "very well, I have a present for you."
Something stirred in a niche swaddled by darkness and muscles tensing, Link raised his sword and shield. The figure sitting patiently in the umbrae stepped forward, pleats of silk swaying with her movements. Midna uttered a strangled scream, she pressed her palms to her mouth and her eye grew so wide, Link worried it might pop out of its socket.
Brandishing a rapier and skin tinted to an unhealthy green, Zelda sliced her weapon sideways and lunged in one fluid movement. Mind whirling, Link gasped as the hero's tunic saved him yet again. He brought up his shield to block a flurry of lightning fast attacks and sucked in a breath when she twirled and the rapier nearly cleaved his nose in half. Pushed backwards, he jumped when a large, glowing triangle etched under his feet.
Sluggishly recovering from her shock, Midna's single eye roved from Ganondorf to Zelda. Zelda. Alive but reduced to a rune covered puppet. Twilli magic bled from her in short bursts and her pupil less eyes honed on Link with frightening bloodlust. The Princess skipped across the chamber, unleashing deadly sword strikes and orbs of crackling energy.
Compared to her, Link fought like a barbarian. Midna inhaled and opened her hand; a miniscule fused shadow grew in size and slammed on her body. Vowing to save the Princess of Hyrule, Midna promptly sailed into the thick of battle, smiling when Link sharply veered his sword away from her skin.
"Are you crazy?" he rebuked. "Move out of the way! She's gonna kill you."
A ball of energy smashed against the headless Nayru's body and the rest of the Goddess statue shattered along with the sister figures. A pile of rubble heaped on the carpet, white dust coated its fringes. "No little wolf," Midna teased, "you stand aside and watch, this is how princess do battle." Link ducked as the slim sword slid across the side of his neck, he shivered at the cold contact and blinked when the Twilli's demon hand grabbed Zelda by her midsection and pinned her to a wall. "Move. Now. I cannot control my power," Midna warned and let Zelda go.
Taking his cue, Link fled, icy blue eyes pulling like a magnet to Ganondorf, witnessing the fight with a wry smirk.
Zelda hacked the limbs swerving for her and floated gently to the ground. Wondering how she fought with a cumbersome silk dress weaving around her legs, Midna reflexively smacked a ball of energy back to the Princess of Hyrule and Zelda returned it, batting the orb with her sword. She lunged, sword poised to pierce Midna's single eyeball and hovering out of reach, Midna clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Rude of you to aim for my eye," she spat and the ball deflected from her glowing demon hand. "I only have one," she smiled a strained smile when the whizzing ball collided with Zelda.
Ganondorf grinned when his puppet merely brushed off the collision and stood. The dismay apparent on Midna's face gave him an electric excitement.
Sucking in a breath when a second fused shadow slammed onto Midna's body, Link forced himself to stay on one spot, gaze trained on Ganondorf. The Light Sword weighed like lead in his arms; flashes of light burned in the throne room and stabbed his eyeballs unpleasantly. He sensed no life from the puppet form of Zelda and yet, Midna fought as if she could salvage something. Link found it painful to watch and when the Princess collapsed, the dark veins on her skin lightening, Midna swooped in with her magic to break the Twilli curse placed upon Zelda.
He gritted his teeth when the Twilli smiled. The imp radiated happiness...he only wished...
A monstrous roar shook the pillars holding the throne room ceiling and a few cracked, stone cylinders crushing the tiles. Conversation cut short, Midna warped the recovering Zelda to a protective niche and joined Link to distastefully ogle the Dark Beast contorting on the floor. Ganon shook a mane of fiery red hair and snorted, Link gagged at the stench. Two curved tusks gouged the earth and gleamed bone white under the weak moonlight sifting from the broken ceiling. A silver scar stretched from the raving boar's chest to his abdomen.
The beast screamed like the scar gave him pain. He screamed as if the wound cost him everything in life.
"It was nice meeting you Link," Midna casually stated and he did a double take, "make sure Zelda is kept safe, I won't forgive you if she gets as much as a scar on her skin." The imp continued prattling but the words jammed in Link's head, what in Jabun's name is she talking about? "Take care of yourself and thank you for your help."
He stood in a grassy plain. In Hyrule field. Zelda sat on the grass next to him, her dress in pristine condition. Hyrule Castle painted a jagged line on the horizon, its towers crooked and bent. A faint, unearthly roar resonated from the palace and Link tugged his earlobe, relieved for the pain.
So this...quietude was real? How could it be real? Moments ago he stood before a hulking monster and Midna...
A soft rustle of material forced Link to stop pulling his earring and he helped Zelda up. Her beauty unnerved him and he quickly looked away, willing the flush in his cheeks to recede. Unfortunately, she stood right next to him and silently, both of them stared at the horizon. Dawn bled, rosy, golden and full of promise.
Hoof beats drummed on the plains, sending chills cascading down Link's spine. He peeked at Zelda, blushed when she lowered her eyes and tried to mimic her composure. How did she stand there, still as a statue and not cower in the slightest bit? Why was she so pretty? Link had never seen anything so beautiful in his life; he mentally sifted through the princess drawings in the picture books. Nope. Not even the drawings compared to the goddess-human standing next to him.
"Ganondorf..." Zelda rasped, her voice hoarse. "Midna and her magic were not enough to vanquish him." Numbly, Link focused on the army of monsters rallying to the Triforce bearer of Power, he blew in the horse's call, dully accepting a horseback duel. "He has her mask..."
The blood in Link's veins morphed to freezing ice and the horse's call fell from his stone fingers. No!
Nooo.
NO!
Through the blurry veil over his eyes, Zelda clasped her hands together and prayed. Trying not to hiccup, Link did the same, pressing his hands together as the drumming increased to a mini-earthquake. A single, hot tear landed on his curled fingers and he sniffed. The earthquake roiled across the plain, blades of grass danced and stones bounced. Ganondorf's pearl white blade flashed into view, tip poised to stab Zelda.
She did not move.
The skies darkened to wet ink and four light spirits bloomed, searing Link's retinas. He cowered before their might and spared a vindictive glance at Lanayru who ignored him. The Princess stood before them, the tiara in her hair winking with equal brilliance, they conversed and the words folded over Link like a tidal wave, failing to penetrate the layers of fear, desperation and grief. The spirits granted Zelda four light arrows, crafted from their immortal blood, and faded into dawn.
Saddled on top of Epona, Link helplessly gazed at the Princess as she clambered next to him, her dress draped over Epona's flank. The horse now wore a mini-skirt of silk. "Uh...will you be okay, riding like that?" he asked, the imminent threat of Ganondorf momentarily forgotten.
"We would worry more about you," Zelda curtly replied, her voice a rough whisper. She sat ramrod straight and a long bow materialized in her gloved hands.
"We?" Link slowly asked. Epona broke into a trot and he feared for Zelda sliding off. Who's going to back him up then? Midna...is probably dead, or dying.
"...I would worry more about you," the Princess corrected herself and her silver blue eyes sharpened at Ganondorf. "We do not have time to converse, rest easy; I am a proficient at horseback archery."
Shrugging, Link ducked when a phantom attempted to joust him. The Master Sword cleaved the spirit and it rode off in the wind. Ganondorf rode alongside them, his laughter guttural and mocking.
The Warlock blade cut a thin line across Epona's flank and hissing in anger, Link nudged her closer and swiped. He missed. The Gerudo Prince wheeled around, charged and in one swift moment, Link found himself tumbling across the ground, the earth and sky see-sawing with him.
He got up, shook his head and spat a mouth full of grass. The princess graced him with an even stare of pity before raising her bow and letting an arrow soar.
The Light arrow found its mark on Ganondrof's silver scar and Link spared a second of sympathy for the enraged man before vaulting across the field and slicing at the armor protecting the Gerudo's body. Heavy, gold trimmed pieces thudded to the ground and he jumped back when Ganondorf slashed. Blood welled at the base of Link's throat and he irritably wiped it as Zelda pulled him back on Epona.
"He will be more vigilant of my arrows. Please distract him," the Princess requested.
To Link, it sounded like a command. Gathering the reins, he galloped for Ganondorf and turned abruptly at the last second, leaving his nemesis to shout threats to the wind. Zelda turned and fired the rest of the arrows one after the other and marveling at her skill, Link slowed Epona and watched. The sight of Ganondorf, grunting in pain and paralyzed by threads of light, stirred a pang of sorrow in Link and he looked away.
No one is supposed to carry a burden they cannot bear.
"Be careful, he is still alive," Zelda cautioned. She stared down at Ganondorf and Link resisted the urge to toe the inert figure. The man lay petrified on the grass, his tattered cape cushioning him from the soil. His scar did not bleed and three Light arrows protruded from it. "I commend your bravery," the Princess addressed Link and he stood taller, flattered and hopeful. "You were not groomed for your destiny, yet, you ploughed through them and saved Hyrule." A breeze tossed the end of her thick braid and she clasped her hands regally. "He will wake soon and you will lay him to peace." Distant bird chirps filled the silence and the sun climbed the sky. "This is your last calling." Zelda moved away as Ganondorf stirred, a hand clamped around the arrows and pulled them one by one. The projectiles lost their golden luster and crumbled into bone. "You, the hero, have to do this alone."
The Triforce bearer of Power opened his eyes. Greed, confusion and a history of hatred swirled in them. Link knew the longing behind the eyes, he felt it too. A wanting of absolute power, the hatred of his circumstance and the fierce desire to return to the place he called home.
He raised his sword.
He was no chivalrous hero.
The Light Sword descended and Ganondorf gazed glassily, the disbelief and light in his irises fading along with his dreams and power.
Link wiped his eyes.
He wanted to go home.
A/N: WW Link did not have a glorious battle with Ganondorf, he always sought the most easiest way out and therefore killed Ganondorf when the latter was at his weakest. TP Link on the other hand fights not for glory, but because he likes the rush of adrenaline. He is bloodthirsty; therefore, poor Ganondorf ended up with a sword sticking out of his forehead.
This is the last chapter of the story, but stay tuned for the epilogue.
At CapitalClassShip: It was fun writing them adjusting to the different timelines
At FateVoid: I'm a huge fan of having my stories dissected. Yeah, I suppose the ending is predictable. Hope the story lives up to your hype
Anyway, please read and review, constructive criticism and feedback are greatly appreciated. Much gratitude to all those who read the story, it gives me motivation to keep writing.