In the underbelly of the palace, Link sat back against the wall of a cell struggling with the chain about his wrist. His head still ached and a bruise had begun to form beneath his hair. He had fought the guard the whole way down into the dungeon and so it had bashed him repeatedly into the stone walls, very nearly knocking him unconscious as it chained him. He had managed to free one of his hands from the shackle though his now bare wrists were bloodied with the effort. Gritting his teeth, he pulled once more and wretched his other hand from the steel clasp. He let the back of his head fall against the stone surface as he tried to gather his wits. Dizzily he stood, checking the bars and floor for weak spots, the echo of his anxious movement harrying him. Where had the creatures taken Zelda? As he groped at the dust strewn floor in the dim light, he couldn't stop himself from imagining all manner of horrible things they could be doing to her now. He could only wait, and try to find a way out of the cell. He searched the floor desperately for a hole of some sort. For a moment, he thought he had found a rusted bar but soon realized after kicking it as hard as he could that it would not give. Suddenly, he heard the heavy door at the end of the hall clank open and he quickly sat back down, pretending to be chained as the glowing eyes of the undead guards fell upon him. One of them carried Zelda limply beneath their arm and the boy's heart clenched at the sight of her. He heard them unlock the cell beside his and toss the princess inside. Then he watched as they shambled slowly to the exit. He heard her begin to weep quietly in the dark. Swiftly, he moved to the side of the cell. On his knees along the stone wall he reached his hand out between the bars.

"Zelda?" He called, waiting tensely for some response.

After a moment, he could hear the sound of scraping in the cell beside and he felt the princess weakly grip his hand. He breathed a long sigh as she laced her fingers in his.

"...Did they hurt you?" He asked.

"They've poisoned me… with what, I am not sure… every nerve feels as though it's burning yet I can hardly move…" She said, her voice wet and strained.

The boy felt her grip his fingers a little tighter.

"I'm so sorry Link… I should have known…" She said, her voice cracking.

Link laid his head despondently against the cold, iron bars.

"How could you have known, Zelda?" He said.

He heard her stifle a sob.

"I knew that something was wrong… I should have foreseen this… and now... our land and our people are doomed… I know his plans…" She whispered.

Link lifted his head.

"What did you see?" He asked.

"… As I lay unconscious… I saw what he desires to do… he has come to destroy the land… and everyone in it… his mission is obliteration… not domination… and now he has the Triforce within reach… that is why… we are still alive… if we are dead… he cannot take them… because they bind… to the soul." Said Zelda, straining to speak.

The boy's eyes widened, the realization breaking over him like a dark wave. He had been right.

"We have to get out of here somehow…" He said.

He looked up at the cage that held him.

"These bars are made of iron… Zelda… maybe you could break them." He said, hope rising in his voice.

He heard scraping against the ground as the girl seemed to jerkily shift her weight.

"I don't think I can, Link." She said.

He gripped her hand tighter still.

"Please try." He said softly.

She slowly withdrew her hand, and beside his cell he could hear the sounds of movement and small groans of pain before the air went dead again; the night and the distant sounds of battle resounding. He called her name, the blackest despair draping over him as he waited for her answer in the stillness. There was only silence. Link slumped against the wall, reeling and close to tears.

"… I'm so sorry, Zelda…" He said, drawing his knees close and burying his face in his forearms.

The boy sat in perfect hopelessness for a time. Panic and dispair taking hold there in the dark. Then, from beside he saw a pale light flood his cell. He lifted his head as she appeared before him; the ghostly radiance of the power that lay within her pulsing brightly around her delicate form. Zelda stumbled forward, her eyes fixed and distant though filled with agony as she raised her shivering hands. Slowly, with a soft cry of strain she spread the bars open as if they had been made of taffy. The iron glowed red-hot as Zelda stepped unsteadily into the boy's cell. She stared vacantly at him for a moment as he rose before her, the glow about her dimming. Her legs gave then, and Link caught her by the elbows as she sank to her knees, a tiny sound of pain escaping her. Quickly numbing, she looked up at him, her eyes bleary.

"You must go… I cannot follow you now… down the hall… at the end of the cell block…There is a freight elevator... take it as far as you can… the armory is… a floor above" She stammered, losing control of her limbs and sinking into the boy's arms.

"I… Zelda, I can't just leave you here…" He said.

She swallowed, with all that remained of her strength, she looked up at him.

"You must... you're… the only one… who can stop him… Link… please… save us." She said, her muscles slacking as the poison finally took full hold of her.

Her eyes begged him still. He regarded her a moment more before he pulled her limp body tighter to his chest. He held her, trying to gather the strength to stand and leave her there in that cell.

"I'll be back for you… I promise…" He said.

He gently laid her down, smoothing the loose hair from her face before he stood. He tuned and stepped through the bent bars, pausing for one more look at her before he hurried down the hall and praying that she would be safe long enough for him to make it to the armory and back. Zelda lay motionless in the dark upon the floor. The agonizing buzzing she had felt beneath her skin had given way to absolute numbness. She felt accomplished and allowed herself to drift into semi-consciousness. Whatever happened to her now was inconsequential, Link was free and he would end this long and terrible night. Some time after she had heard his footsteps fade from the room, Zelda heard the door at the end of the hall clang open again.

Link peered into a moonlit hallway in the upper floors of the palace from a small crack in the wall. After he had left Zelda, he'd found the dumb-waiter at the end of the cell block just as the princess had said. The tiny lift, rigged on a pulley system, was just large enough to fit himself into if he sat cross-legged. So, he had slid inside and shut the door, pulling himself aloft to the higher wings of the palace. Now, unable to go any further, he seemed to be in one of the upper main hallways, somewhere close to Zelda's chamber and all the rooms he had passed with her that first night. He wound the rope around the small hook inside and cautiously pushed the wall open. The hall was empty. He took a moment to calm himself and then he stepped down into the lavish and incredibly beautiful hallway, the finely carved stone ceiling arching with silver brackets as it stretched on for what seemed like a mile. Beside stood tall, open windows; the curtains gently rustling in the dim torch light. From beneath the door at the far end of the hall, Link thought he saw shadows approaching. Quickly, he climbed through the open window and stood on the small ledge outside, starting a bit as he looked down. He was hundreds of feet in the air, one misstep would be the end of him. Steadying himself, he crouched down below the carved lip of the windows as he waited for the figures to pass. He did not look up to see what it was that moved through the hall, he only waited, holding his breath as the creature slowly passed him. He felt its presence fade and he stood then, the cool night breeze tossing his hair across his face as he looked about the side of the castle for a way to the floor above. He inched his way along the windowsill. A few feet away, built into the carved stone of the palace walls, was drain pipe that connected to the gutters a few dozen feet up. The boy nervously calculated the gap before he moved himself backwards a slight. He gazed out across the land for a moment, from this height he could see the blazing field and the battle that raged before the castle gates. Resolutely, he drew a deep breath and took a running start at the edge, launching himself into the air and catching hold of the bracketed pipe. He climbed the molded brass and pulled himself up onto the steep, steel shingled roof of the palace. Its spires still towered hundreds of feet above him. Sitting below the slanting rooftop he saw what appeared to be a guard rail, one that no doubt lined an outdoor hall way. Perhaps he was in the right place. Carefully, he made his way to the top, pulling himself up onto a long observation bridge that ran in a curve about the rooftops; the walls notched for archers. Hiding against the battlement, relying on the shadows, he looked to the upper windows for signs of movement. Sure enough, he saw numerous pairs of eyes intently scanning the bridge.

They haven't seen me yet... they would've shot at me by now.

Link thought for a moment as he crouched behind the shadowed archway. If he could distract their attention long enough to just cross sides, he could hide behind the crenelated wall all the way to the door. He quickly surveyed his surroundings for something, anything, he could use to get the attention of the creatures above. He glanced down, at his feet there lay a few small stones. The chipped pieces of the bridge itself. Very carefully, without taking an eye off of the yet alerted archers, Link gathered a few good-sized chunks and quickly hopped back over the battlement. He sat down, bracing himself against the wall with the stones atop his bent knees. As quickly and quietly as he could, the boy began to strip his arm and calve of the cloth wrap that Zelda had bound his wounds with in the days prior. He tied the long strands of fabric together and began to weave a sling. When he was finished, mindful of his footing, Link stepped along the wall. He hurled a rock above his head, striking a surface on the far side with a loud clack. He repeated the motion once more and waited, listening on the windswept rooftop. He could hear the creatures squalling to one another now and the sounds of arrows being loosed. He flung one more stone their way before he quickly dashed back up the side, pressing himself to the opposite wall as he waited for silence to fall once more. He stood there for a time, struggling to keep his motions quiet and his breathing steady. They knew someone was there now, and they were watching the bridge; one well placed arrow was all that it would take. Carefully, Link inched his way down the wall. Finally, after making it to the alcove which housed the armory he shot to his feet and hurried inside. He swiftly closed the door behind him, very nearly laughing in relief. He found his things lying in a discarded heap in the corner of the huge, and largely empty room. Most of the arms had been ransacked and now the gray walls lay nearly bare as Link gathered his weaponry. With relish, he pulled the leather back over his hands, strapping the gauntlets into place again along with his sword belt. As he clasped his sword and shield into place, the door crashed open on the far end of the armory, snapping the boy instantly to attention. Bursting into the room was an enormous armored solider. It clanked loudly as it moved toward him, producing unintelligible mutterings of fury as it brandished a huge, black blade. Link quickly unsheathed his sword and set his shield to his wrist, holding the blade in a high guard as the entity approached. The boy leapt backwards as the solider brought the weapon crashing down on the stone floor and cracking the tiles where Link had stood less than a second before. He watched for a moment as he circled the being, its movements slow and hampered by the great weight of its armor. The boy waited for the solider to swing again and quickly moved into its side. He slashed along its flank, cutting the straps that held the back plate and shoulder guard in place and it fell clanking to the ground. Whirling back around, Link watched as the solider became visibly infuriated, shaking the blade angrily as it moved to strike again. It charged at him as Link quickly side-stepped it, swiping upward and knocking its breastplate loose. The soldier ripped the helmet angrily from its head, revealing an eye-less, visor shrouded face. Rusted, jewel adorned mail covered the length of its body. Link raised an eyebrow.

There's no one under there, it's just an animated suit.

It threw the helmet to the ground and flung the enormous sword at the boy. It smashed against his shield, nearly throwing Link off his feet as he stumbled back in recoil. It drew a second blade and came at him much quicker this time. It slashed down in a powerful arc and Link caught the blow, deflecting it sideways as he swept inward; finally landing a hit through the rusting mail though the iron-clad soldier kicked him back and sent him sprawling to the floor. The boy quickly scrambled to his feet, evading being impaled by only inches as the entity's blade struck the stone floor with a spark. They circled each other once more before each of them charged forward. With both hands Link swept the soldier's blade down and with all of his strength thrust forward into the soldier's torso. As he pulled back, instantly a dark vapor began to pour from the hole he had punched in the soldier's mail and it murmured angrily at him for a moment before it collapsed into a pile upon the floor. Link, after catching his breath, stepped warily around the heap of iron and exited the armory. He walked back out on to the bridge, dropping instantly to his knees as an arrow shot past his head. On the other side of the guard bridge, Bulblin clad in steel now poured, shrieking, from some unseen door. They were quickly making their way toward him as more arrows struck the stone around him. Link groaned in frustration and pressed himself against the wall. He had forgotten about them. Shielding himself, he vaulted over the sharp guard-rail with the creatures in rabid pursuit. They chased him down the rooftop, a few slipping and falling to their deaths hundreds of feet below as they followed Link down the drain pipe and leapt to the windowsill. However, as they filed through the windows and into the hallway they found no trace of the Hylian boy. It was as if he had vanished into the walls and so the creatures, babbling curses in their abominable tongue, turned and left to return to their stations. Link quickly lowered himself back through the walls of the palace, anxiously hurrying back to the basement where the paralyzed Zelda lay. After what seemed like an eternity, finally he reached the bottom. Carefully, he slid open the wall and slipped out. Readying his blade, he silently made his way through the rows of cells, slowly coming at last upon his own.

"Zelda, I'm back." He called softly.

Stepping into the cell immediate panic took hold of him. The princess was gone. He gripped the hilt of his sword a little tighter, fury and utter terror blooming in him as his eyes went to the iron-banded door. He had taken her somewhere upstairs. Link could feel her presence above him like a beacon in the dark. It would guide him to her, and he would kill any creature that tried to stop him from reaching her.

A few moments after the boy had absconded to the upper halls of the castle in search of his blade, Ganondorf stepped alone into the cold, dim prison floor. He could feel the great wheel of fate turning. The never-ending waltz beginning once again as the presence of both the boy and the princess sang out to him. This time however, after more than a thousand years, the Triforce was truly in his grasp. In the vast and empty sea of time, he had thus far been triumphant in some small way simply by remaining conscious. He could grasp now the time that had passed. The crawling centuries he had spent trapped first within the sword and then within the mirror. He had been free for a moment though and even that he had been blind with rage, he had seen the girl suspended in the air by her own stolen power. It was she who had opened the door. Ganondorf had known of her since the beginning, he suspected. He thought on this now. The Shadow Book had told him the legend of a Goddess who had cast off her divinity and taken a mortal body. A Goddess who incarnated again and again in the bloodline of the queens of Hyrule. It had told him also of the demon, Demise. He had seen visions of a time when he was but a young king of the desert tribe, of the witch twins who had raised him and helped him to gain control of his inborn power. Even before he had broken the Triforce, he had been something more than a simple mortal. He wondered now, was that how it had begun? Was the demon his true face as the Goddess was hers? His thirst for power a lust for his lost immortality? He knew he had taken precaution in dealing with the child Zelda, even then. He had seen some kind of recognition in her eyes, something he had never quite understood in that life. Now, hundreds of years since he had last stood as a man, as he destroyed her kingdom and her people, he would seek answers from her. As he rounded the corner the towering figure stopped short. The boy had escaped. Ganondorf felt rage boil forth for a moment as he looked on at the bent bars of his captive's cell; the princess still lying immobile and prostrate upon the floor. He stepped into the cell, pulling the girl up by her wrist. Her head pitched limply to the side as he lifted her toward him.

"I do not know how you managed to break through paralysis, but I assure you that your effort was wasted. I will have what I want one way or another." He said, tightening his grip on her wrist.

Zelda stared back at him, her eyes defiant.

You have already failed… he is free.

Ganondorf very nearly choked the life from her there out of unchecked loathing in the cell but he paused, calming himself. She was far more useful, far more entertaining, alive. Even if he was to be bested by these children once again, he would still complete his vengeance in part through her. He grinned down at the girl before forced her into the air with a gesture of his hand.

"Come then, your highness. If we are to play this game, you should at the very least look presentable." He said.

As if her body were borne up by an invisible stretcher, Zelda levitated helplessly behind as the vile magic held her.

Ganondorf took the princess to the main floors of the castle, walking with her in his psychic grasp up many flights of stairs as Zelda stared blankly at the passing walls, contemplating her death. He stopped suddenly.

"I want you to share something with me; if you but think it I can hear you. You and I are connected. You know why this is, yes?" He asked, positioning her to look at him. She stared on at the staircase.

"Answer me." He said.

You are a vile thing that comes again and again that my incarnation must destroy...

Ganondorf laughed.

"Good that you know your history, princess. I trust you've had memories of your previous selves? I know you have...Hylia."

Zelda did not reply.

"How long did it take you to figure out, child? Was there always a voice inside you, whispering that you were somehow greater than all these pathetic, little men? Were you told?"

Zelda was silent. Gandondorf grabbed her jaw.

"Do not ignore me, girl. I can take the answers to my questions from you, if you'd like."

The princess felt a sudden, sharp wave of nausea as she felt a dark presence invade her being. Ganondorf sensed her discomfort and grinned down at her.

"Well?"

He could feel her attempting to block him out and so he forced himself deeper into her mind. She felt her stomach turn at the invasion.

Told

Ganondorf seemed to consider her words for a moment. Then with a gesture of his wrist they were moving again up the stairs.

"So... you truly are a Goddess made flesh."

He did not talk for a time, and Zelda was borne ceaselessly through hallways and past tapestries and windows. At length, Ganondorf spoke again.

"I have always thought that perhaps I was not of this world...not of this rich and beautiful land that I once so coveted from my desert home... I must know..." He stopped, and he lifted the princess into the air before him.

"If you are Hylia reborn... then am I... the incarnation of Demise?" He asked.

Zelda was silent. Ganondorf angrily raised his hand and she felt the beast's astral fingers close around her throat, clenching it. She felt herself choking.

...Yes...You are the abomination that I have sought to put an end to since long before I took this form. You are pure, concentrated darkness... as the boy is light.

He released her, and Ganondorf stood there for a moment as he contemplated her words. Then he began to laugh, low and bitterly. He looked up at the princess, held in the air like a scarecrow by an invisible pole.

"Show me what Hylia knows, girl." He commanded.

Zelda locked eyes with him and she pushed him back with enough force to make the Dark King stumble.

He let her drop with a thud to the stone steps. He knelt beside her, gripping her up by her shoulders and roughly position her to look at him.

"Give me her memories, child, show me how this began!" He roared.

She pushed him back again, nearly throwing him aside. Struggling through the force, snarling, Ganondorf pressed his hands to the side of the girl's head. She felt something crack within her and she let out a scream as his darkness invaded her mind.

At first the girl's memories fall past unintelligibly. He sees only the passing lights of faces she knows, hears only whispers of many voices. The whispers grow louder, nearly deafening as he drifts further into her mind. For a moment, he knows all she knows as her lives fall past him. Then, suddenly from out of the blackness there are flames all around, bright and roaring. The ancient battle stretches as far as his eyes can see. The land is burning as he stands above it as a great and terrible thing of fire and scales. His legions are vast and the destruction they have wrought is massive as the Gods weep. Hylia is breaking, and he will take what she guards. He sees a flash of light in the darkness and it is then that he looks upon the knight for the first time. There is something different about this boy. His soul is luminous. Pure. It will make destroying him all the more satisfying. The mortal is far stronger than expected... He has killed the boy, but he is wounded. Now he sees a blinding light surround him. He burns as the Goddess pushes him deep into the earth. He feels himself dragged under and sealed away. Then there is darkness, and rage.

Time shifts...

There is a crack in the seal. He frees himself and stands a beast weakened by eons underground. He tastes the soul of the Goddess. The knight returns wearing a different skin. He is surprised when he cannot kill the boy, even more surprised when the boy kills him. He feels his power dissipate as consciousness leaves him and the knight seals him away.

Time shifts...

The knight stands before him again with the princess aside. He must kill him this time. He must claim the thing he's sought. He falters, so the boy and the princess seal him away.

Time shifts...

He awakes a seething beast of rage. His wish is only destruction. He tastes again of the Goddess's soul. It makes him strong. The knight returns, and he will not let him finish. The boy manages a fatal blow in spite of his deep, bleeding wounds. As the boy falls, the princess awakes and seals him away.

Time shifts...

Ganondorf ripped himself out of Zelda's mind, flinging himself backward as the princess slid to the floor with a shuttering groan. The girls thoughts still flickered through his mind. He looked at the collapsed princess with a new kind of contempt.

"So...it was your doing...you doomed all three of us." He sneered.

He stood, looming over her as she lay sprawled helplessly on the floor.

"We come back again and again with no memory...you have no recollection of me except in your deepest nightmares. With the boy it's to be expected, his soul was always that of a mortal. But you... you were once a Goddess and cast away all of that power to trap yourself in the feeble body of a woman. All to deny me my wish for the immortality you stole! You are children...And yet, the two of you little gnats always find a way to cast me back into the dark. I may kill one of you, but it makes no difference, the result is the same... We are threaded by fate, you, the boy and I... It is an unbreakable bond... meant to play out infinitely throughout this world's existence. We are clashing elements... that is why I can hear your thoughts... Why your misery brings me such delight... Why I cannot utterly defeat you!" He snapped.

The girl's breathing quickened.

You are, and always have been, a murdering pig... and it is our duty to destroy you... no matter how many times we rise and fall. Because you do not rule, you enslave. Your lust for control over all is bottomless... it makes you blind.

She heard the demon scoff.

"Do not think yourselves so righteous… Light cannot exist without dark. There is a balance, ever-moving from one extreme to the other. Strength is the key, and who ever embodies the most, brute or otherwise, at the given time shall tip the scale. You and I... we are eternal... meant to constantly circle each other in battle, as night follows day. Sometimes you best me, and others, I you... or should I say the boy? He is after all, a weapon of your own making. You do little other than direct him to his death. You push him in front of me as if all of this were a game of chess." He retorted.

Ganondorf ripped her back into the air again, grinning as a thought occurred to him.

"You are quite taken with the little knight aren't you?"

Zelda refused to look at him, sweat beading at her temples as she stared down into the darkened castle foyer. With a vicious chuckle, he moved her again behind him. Finally, the two of them stood outside a door. Passing through it, Zelda could see now that she was in what had been her father's room as Ganondorf dropped her on the bed. She tried with all her might to move as he stood over her. Winding her loose hair around his hand he pulled her to sitting. He ripped the leather armor from her as she struggled to keep her panic contained. He drew a dagger from beneath his robes and watched as the girl's eyes widened a slight.

"Do not fear, I have no intention of killing you." He said.

He cut what remained of the fabric from her legs and let her fall to the bed in her underclothes . He glanced down at her as he sheathed the dagger, and Zelda realized with sudden horror that she could still see her father buried deep in the features of the demon..

"I have only brought you here to be sure that you looked appropriate this night; the armor is unbecoming of one such as yourself." He said.

He disappeared for a moment into her father's wardrobe, returning with a dress in one hand and a few dust-covered ornaments in the other. Upon seeing the delicate white and lavender silk, Zelda recognized immediately her mother's wedding dress. He forced her into it; tightening the bodice, fastening the Hyrulean banner at the front of her hips. The armor jagged and heavy about her chest and back. He then jammed her mother's crown down upon her head, scraping a thin line of blood into her temple. Ganondorf leered at her for a moment before he lifted her into the air again.

"Now you look your part… all the pieces are assembled."

Outside the walls of the decimated castle town, Rue sped as fast as her aching and unsteady legs would carry her. The fires in the field now smoldered in the waning moonlight. The grass lay strewn with the bodies of the dead. Men, women, Gorons, monsters and the unnatural corpses lay everywhere as she flew over the hills. Ignoring the splitting pain in her arm, the raven-haired girl quickly rushed into edges the of the still raging onslaught, looking desperately for Khai, Eolan or anyone who could help her free Link and the princess. In the distance, she saw an armored horse with no rider tearing angrily around the field. It was Epona, unmistakably; her snowy mane flecked red with dried blood. Whistling loudly as she had heard Link do many times before, she called the mare to her. The horse flew up around the melee and quickly skidded to a stop before the girl. She whinnied, her ears standing backwards as Rue approached. Gingerly, she took the reins.

"I know you don't like me girl... and that's okay, but someone we both love very much is in a lot of trouble. I need you to help me… just this once." She said.

The horse snorted, her ears turning forward as she pawed the ground, tossing her head. Carefully, Rue pulled herself into the saddle. She sat tentatively for a moment. The red mare had not kicked her off and so she urged the horse forward. It was the fastest the girl had ever ridden. She tore through the waiting sea of monsters as she searched the field. In the thick of the battle she found Khai, along with the injured Coltin behind him, each bloody atop his armored mare as they felled the assailing creatures. She rode up beside them as they thundered on across the field. Khai glanced over to her.

"Rue! What are you doing riding Epona?!" He cried.

"Khai, you have to help me! He took them!" Said Rue.

She watched Coltin's hazel eyes light with confusion. Khai whirled back around to look at her.

"What do you mean he took them?!" He shouted.

Both he and Rue jerked their eyes back to field as they rode into another cluster of Stalfos; dispatching three or four as they circled back around.

"We have to help them Khai, it's all my fault! I got Link and Zelda captured because I was stupid and went after the demon myself. He broke my arm and he took me back to the castle with him. He made them surrender. We've gotta help them, please Khai!" She begged.

Khai cast a furious look in her direction.

"WHAT?!"

In a single motion he turned his mare back toward the castle gates. Rue and Epona fallowed close behind. On the outskirts of the battlefield, in the shadow of the castle, Khai suddenly dismounted and Rue pulled the red mare to a hasty stop. Through the haze of smoke, she could make out the eyes of three creatures adrift in the melee. Rue watched as Khai disappeared for a time into the mist. She heard screeching, and Khai's voice ringing obscenities over the resounding sounds of warfare behind. Moments later, the black-eyed boy reappeared, a crude shield and a fresh quiver dangling from his wrist. He nearly tossed the the wide, weighty shield at Rue. He once again mounted his horse, the shrieks of more Bulbin echoing beside.

"You can leave or you can come Rue, you're useless for battle one way or another." Said Khai, his mare nickering and tossing her head beneath him.

Rue tightened the shield to her good wrist and looked across to Khai, the entire field bright orange behind him.

"I'm going!"

Khai turned to Coltin behind.

"I'm not giving you a choice kid, get your bow ready."

The four of them fought their way for what seemed like hours through the warzone and into the upper half of the field. Quickly drawing near the bridge to the city gates, both Khai and Coltin notched their bows as the eyes of Bulbin arches and walking corpses fixed upon them.

"They're all over the bridge, take out as many as you can but don't stop for anything! Watch for archers on the wall! Once we're through the gates take a left, take the horses right up into the palace!" Khai's voice cracked as he barked at the youth behind and beside him.

They charged forward, Rue bracing against her shield, already hearing arrows fly past their heads as Coltin shot down the two atop the wall. They tore on as they crossed over into the leveled city, and passed the enormous double doors of the courtyard. The trio skidded to a halt on the white brick at the steps of the looming Hyrulean palace. Quickly they dismounted. Khai, the injured Coltin's arm looped around his neck, pushed the huge, iron-laced door ajar and all three of them slipped inside. Once within the dimly lit, colossal main hall of the palace the four of them regarded three dead lizard-creatures, laying in a heap of spears and verdant blood. Another figure now quickly made its way up the staircase, toward the door above.

"Hey!" Khai called, his voice echoing through the room as Coltin readied his bow.

The figure quickly turned, and leaned a slight over the railing. In the light, they recognized immediately the figure of the slender, blonde boy.

"Link!" Rue called.

The boy smiled as he stood above his two dear friends on the steps.

"Rue...You came back." He said.

Rue stepped forward.

"Of course I did... How... how did you get out?" She asked.

"Zelda... She bent the bars to my cell..." Link paused, glancing to the door and then back to his friends below.

"I have to go. Please stay somewhere safe, this will be over soon, I swear." He said, turning to the large, arched wooden door.

"Hey, Link! Where are you going? Let me help you!" Khai called from below as he started toward the steps.

Link spun around.

"No Khai, stay where you are. I have to do this on my own. Please, take Rue someplace safe and just wait for me there..."

He turned again toward the door, laying his hand against it he prepared to push through. He paused there, looking over his shoulder.

"Thank you for coming to rescue us... " He said, and with that he disappeared into the upper halls.

Khai's face reddened.

"I didn't come all the way over here to save your stupid ass to have you go off and die anyway! Link!" Khai bellowed, but the boy was already out of earshot.

Coltin looked aside to his commander.

"I think he's right... I think he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing. We'd be interfering if anything." He said.

The black-eyed boy sighed loudly, his gaze still locked on the door his little brother had passed through.

"We'll wait then... if he's going to kill it, hopefully it's not going to take too much longer but until then, let's go find a good, solid place to hide. I'll protect you both. " Said Khai.

Bracing Coltin, He turned again to the heavy iron laced door. When the girl did not move to follow him, he turned back to regard Rue frozen into place. The girl was sobbing.

After the long, tense climb to the northern tower, Zelda found herself staring out the high windows of the throne room. Glancing to the side, she saw the cold, crumpled body of Master Tairyn lying near the steps of the throne and she silently offered a prayer as she passed. As she drifted by the enormous pillars that ran to the ceiling at the side of the hall, she thought she was beginning to feel the tips of her fingers again. The Thief King tossed her limply upon the throne, her head lolling to the side as her hair obscured her vision.

"Now all there is left to do is wait… as I have for the past three hundred years… wait for the knight. He will come for you as he always does… to a waiting blade; obsequious to a fault." Said Ganondorf.

He turned to the motionless Zelda at his side.

"Tell me, does it wear on your conscience? The boy dies for you rather often." He said.

Zelda continued to stare on at the iron-wrought door on the far side of the room. He smirked.

"Speak Zelda, I am curious about your perception of these matters." He said.

Her eyes flitted upward for a moment and then back to the door.

"So obstinate... Though, when I make the boy bleed I wager that your true nature will betray you. Your boundless guilt… it is quite amusing. The boy comes to save a land that will not remember his name for more than a century; the pure, incorruptible knight, able to handle the power of The Three as if it were a meaningless hunk of metal... he would resent you if he was able." Said Ganondorf.

Zelda felt her chest tighten.

You know nothing.

Ganondorf laughed and knelt in front of her, placing his hands on the carved arms of the throne.

"You think he does this of his own free will? This pure being Hylia created? You fractured his very soul to make him your own personal killing machine because you lacked the spine to do it yourself. You use him… you've made him your slave by stripping him of his true feelings, his humanity, his ability to choose. You stole his free will from him, and arrogantly rewarded him for his compliance with yourself. Isn't that so? The boy is in love with you, is he not?" He asked.

Zelda closed her eyes, mustering all of her strength to block the demon out as his words cut her. He moved closer into her face.

"Do you think that is a coincidence? The mortal guardian Goddess of the Triforce, and her handpicked, spiritually mutilated knight? Of course he would think he is in love with you, he would be much easier to control that way... much more prepared to die for something he does not comprehend. That is what makes killing him especially pleasing. Your well-deserved guilt over his fate is positively delicious, and you will go to ridiculous lengths to absolve it… That is why you exist as you are now, isn't it? That is why you cast away all the power that I would drown every last living thing to wield..." He hissed.

Though she forced it back, tears obscured her vision. He gripped her chin roughly in his hand, forcing her to look at him.

"I make you a promise, your highness… I will kill him in front of you this night, just as I have leveled your country and destroyed your people… As I swore I would a thousand years ago. Do you remember, Zelda? I always keep my promises. Whether or not I fall, I will win." He said.

From behind, both the princess and the demon heard the door boom closed. Ganondorf turned to meet the familiar form of the boy as he started toward him. Scraped, bruised, and covered in the blood of various monsters he came; his sword drawn, his eyes fierce.

"So you have arrived… the fabled knight, to strike me down once again I presume?" The demon jeered, descending the stairs.

Link was silent. He felt every sinew in his body react as the three players took their places, the back of his hand bright with pain as he drew closer. His movements seemed more fluid and natural now than ever, despite the violent pounding of his heart. The moment he had been born for was upon him as the great final juncture eclipsed all three: hero, princess, and villain.

"I forget that you are not one for words. But no matter… the moment is at hand. Come then, boy… to death!"

The room seemed to dim as a swirling cloud of blackness enveloped the foul being beside the throne. Link watched in anticipation as the cloud grew and solidified. At the far end of the room stood a monstrous, boar-like beast; its sharp tusks easily four feet in length as it lowered its head. The boy lifted his blade and waited for the animal to come for him. The beast charged, the ground quaking under its heavy steps as Link quickly shot to the side and raked the edge of the holy sword against the side of the monster's face as it quickly turned and came again. Raising his shield, the boy braced himself as an enormous tusk clattered loudly against the steel, catching himself before it nearly tossed him backward. It spun again, braying with rage as Link very narrowly evaded being shredded by its spear-like claws. The boy, turning on his heels, gripped on to the animal's wiry hair and began to climb up atop the monster's back as it kicked and desperately shook itself. Getting unsteadily to his knees, with its hair wound about his arm Link stabbed downward between the beast's shoulder blades with all his might as it thrashed and howled. Rearing back, the beast reached around and ripped the boy from its shoulders, sending him hurtling to the ground. After he was sure that none of his bones had been broken, Link stood, pain throbbing throughout his body as the snarling animal moved toward him. From across the room, Zelda watched in helpless terror as she frantically commanded her limbs to move. She found now that she could raise the very tips of her fingers and that she could feel most of her face and throat again. They had to take it now, there was no other way, the beast was far too powerful. Wetting her lips, she attempted to speak loudly enough for the boy to hear.

"L…Link! The parchment! His blood... must be on the parchment!" Zelda cried, her words bursting painfully forth from her ragged throat.

Link glanced quickly over to the immobile form of the princess, suddenly remembering the folded spell in the breast pocket of his undershirt. With a roar, Ganon shot forward and the boy leapt out of the way as its head made contact with the wall. Dashing behind one of the huge marble pillars at the side of the hall, Link searched himself for the hidden spell. The beast quickly righted itself and came charging again, slamming into the pillar and sending it falling in white chunks to the floor as Link ran behind the next. Dodging the falling stone and fumbling with his chainmail, he grabbed for the parchment. As the raging Ganon destroyed another pillar behind him, Link pulled the spell from his pocket and swiftly wiped the blood covered blade against the tawny scroll. With wide eyes, he watched for a moment as the blood of the three bearers seemed to pull itself into the lettering, setting the text aflame in red as the boy evaded another vicious swipe of the beast's massive claws.

"Zelda! It's ready!" Link called as he turned again to defend himself against the bleeding, vengeful monster.

The princess closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her strength. As her head still slumped to the side on her neck, she began the spell.

"Eɪih daɪi ʃɒmɪietæ̞ɪn tʃuɒntæ̞ɪ..."

Link caught the beast's tusk against his sword, their eyes locked as it pushed the boy back across the room.

"Laʊos tsɪidæ likɪimið..."

Braying, the creature tossed its head, very nearly breaking Link's arm as it swiped hungrily for him. He sidestepped and landed another blow on its side.

"Eɪih daɪi hɒlɒdæ̞ɪn dʊərn qæ̞ɪ…"

Ganon quickly turned and with a slash of his claws he smashed Link back against the pillar, knocking the air from his lungs and tearing the flesh on his arm wide open.

"Extænʊos aljʉcɔː daɪi cʉndoʊs tye…"

The boy got painfully to his feet, raising his shield as the beast charged again. He stood his ground, his sword readied. He had been cornered.

"ʃalea kæ̞ɪ qæ̞ɪ entla ðʊɤisa."

Everything seemed to stop for a moment as a great ripping sensation filled the bodies of the three bearers, dropping both the boy and the demon to their knees. The beast's body seethed with dark fire as it shrank and took on a human shape once more, the power he had stolen and wielded for so long finally sapped. Link, as waves of nausea and confusion rolled over him, looked across the room to the still transfixed Zelda. Above her head, spinning weightlessly in the air, the holy triangles slowly recombined; descending toward their age-old guardian. Ablaze with unfathomable power, the hum of it filling the walls, the radiance of the Triforce set the throne room aglow with an otherworldly light. Both Link and Ganondorf stood in momentary armistice, staring in awe as the three became one.

"It is whole…"

Link heard Ganondorf utter. He looked aside to the boy with an insidious smile as he gathered a ball of energy in his hand. Before Link could react, the demon hit him with a wave that set every nerve in his body on fire as he was blown backwards. Ganondorf started across the room in a sprint as Link, dazed, forced himself to his feet and tore off after him. The boy managed to pass him and he threw himself between the demon and the relic, slashing upwards in a backhanded arc and tearing a line into the side of the malevolent figure's face with the tip of his blade. Link, bleeding, his chest heaving, stared defiantly upward as he readied his sword to strike again. Ganondorf took a step back, his hand flying to his face as he looked down at the boy with murderous ire.

"Enough of this. You will not stand in my way, not with victory within my grasp! I will have it!" He said, ripping his sword from its sheath.

Link caught his blade as the Thief King bore down on him.

"...You'll have to kill me first." Said Link, and Ganondorf smirked.

"Gladly, knight."

He tossed the boy's blade away, striking quickly in his direction as Link caught his sword again; summoning some previously untapped strength as he held the Thief King's blade in a quivering stalemate. He had to keep the Triforce away from this man, at absolutely any cost and so an idea occurred to him. The boy feinted to the left, the sound of hissing metal rang as swords slid past one another. Quickly setting his palm at the hilt, Link pushed the holy blade down into Ganondorf's thigh until it jutted from the other side. Howling and distracted by the burning agony, the demon clawed at the hilt; the mere touch of it scalding his hands as Link darted across the room. Running up the steps to the gilded throne, he regarded Zelda for a moment before he reached above her head. His fingers grazed the warm, ethereal surface of the Triforce. It brightened, reacting to his touch as he stood before it.

"I wish for the Triforce to bind to my soul and be dormant until it's released by my command!" He cried.

The room filled with an explosion of brilliance and Link felt himself overtaken by a white blindness. His knees nearly gave as he felt himself flooded by unimaginable energy. Every vein felt as though pure light pulsed frantically within it; every hair rose, every muscle tensed. The boy dropped his shield with a metallic thud as the surge of power filled his body. For a moment, life and death were one. Link, in the maddening rush, saw galaxies flow past. Briefly, he understood all things before the golden triangles slept and he stood half-conscious upon the steps. He hardly even felt it when the back of the demon's fist struck him in the side, cracking three of his ribs and sending him flying a few feet away to the floor. Wracked with pain and hardly able to draw breath, the boy struggled to pull himself up. Grimacing, his hand went to his shattered ribs as he lifted himself onto his elbows. Ganondorf limped slowly toward the fallen Link, the holy sword still buried in his leg.

"You stupid, miserable little boy, do you have any idea what you have done? You will be hunted by every legion of man and beast for the rest of your pathetic existence… but first, I am going to make you into a stump… and before you bleed out, I will force you to watch as I peel the flesh from her bones!" He bellowed.

Link glanced to the hilt of his sword and then back to the maliciously grinning face of the demon as he raised his blade. Calling upon every ounce of resolve, as Ganondorf brought the sword down the boy rolled swiftly to the side. He ripped the holy blade from the beast's thigh and rose behind him, a bright wave of pain nearly buckling his knees as he positioned himself to strike. With a vengeful howl, Ganondorf charged, the clashing of their swords echoing throughout the great hall as the princess watched in terror, still trying to move herself against the poison. It seemed to go on for hours, the demon ruthlessly slashing forth as the bloodied and nearly exhausted Link held him off. Finally Ganondorf managed to run his blade along the boy's side, slicing the mail and flinging scarlet droplets to the floor. Link teetered on the balls of his feet for a moment before Ganondorf rushed forward again, kicking his legs out from under him. The boy fell to his knees and for a horrified moment, he could not seem to push himself back up as the dark and towering figure recoiled and drew closer. Ganondorf raised his hand, cackling as he gathered a ball of energy large enough to end the boy in an instant. As the ball flew toward him, Link felt an instinct take hold. Reaching back, he swung the sword at the blast of energy. He found himself surprised to a degree when the dark magic rebounded off of his blade and swallowed the figure before him. With all that was left of his strength, Link lunged forward. With a cry, he drove the Master Sword nearly to its hilt into the stunned figure before him. A lull passed, and Link slid the sword out from between his opponent's ribs as both he and the wicked man stumbled backward. Ganondorf regarded the panting, blood-soaked boy with unparalleled hatred. He raised his blade as if he would come again but instead, he dropped to his knees, still clutching the hilt in his hand as he fell backward. All was silent for a time as Link, spent and in terrible pain moved toward the body on the floor, his blood a spotted trail behind him on the cloudy marble. He stood over his fallen enemy for a moment, the silence heavier still.

Maybe now... both of us can be at peace for a little while…

Drawing a deep, painful breath Link shifted his eyes to Zelda, still frozen to her throne. She could move her head just slightly now and they gazed at each other for a moment. He offered her a small, utterly exhausted smile as he turned to go to her. He did not see the movement on the floor beside him. Before Link could take a second step toward the princess, Ganondorf, perhaps driven yet by pure spite, lurched forward and thrust his blade into the boy's chest. With a short yelp of shock, Link brought his own sword down against the hilt. His arm quivering, he held the rest of the foul blade back as the dying Ganondorf attempted to press it further into his body. After a moment, the Thief King ripped his sword out of the boy as he collapsed, smiling triumphantly up at him through teeth soaked in blood. Trembling and already struggling for air, Link laid his hand against the wound as he felt his skin warm with the torrent pulsing from him. Their eyes met, and the eternal adversaries regarded one another for a time before the demon's gaze went cold, the terrible smile still plastered on his face. Link staggered back. He lifted his hand away and looked down at it for a moment. The blood that drenched his fingertips was the brightest he had ever seen. He let the holy sword clatter to the ground from his already numbing hand as he felt consciousness leaving him. There was a momentary flare of regret. He looked to the princess.

"...Zelda..."

He thought she had begun to say something before he fell numbly backward, hitting the ground with hardly any sensation at all. Link lay sprawled beside his fallen enemy, unable to breathe, his head swimming. He swallowed, tasting iron as he stared into the high, arched ceiling, brilliant crimson quickly pooling at his sides. He was dying; the sensation so alien and yet ultimately familiar as he felt its cold wings closing around him.

It's okay… everyone's safe now… she's safe now… so it's okay…

He had upheld his duty, and now the land would heal. He thought of the trees back home, of the leaves rustling in the wind, the smell of earth. He thought of Rue and Khai, of the scent of bread, hay and steel. Link rolled his head toward the princess for one last look at her as his heart grew ever weaker and his vision began to fade. She really was a jewel of a girl, he thought, as blackness took him. How he wished he would have kissed her. Link closed his eyes. He sighed, the boy did not take another breath.

From the battlefield below, Eolan had seen the three young ones storm the perimeter of the castle. He had thought of going after them but found that he could not bring himself to break ranks; too many of his command lay dead as he rode about the field. He had instead, concentrated on the war still to be fought. His arms aching, he struck down the soldiers of the endless horde with a vengeance. The horror of the carnage seared into his mind like a hot branding iron to flesh. He had found Impa in the rabble and confusion and the two of them had fought side by side for hours slashing frantically through the waves of demons and corpses. As the sun prepared to rise in the east, the old knight rode through a field littered with the broken and torn bodies of his people. The enemy had broken the defense, and now the army of corpses shambled to the destroyed bridges across the fields. From there, they would find a way to the pass, and make their way to the civilians who waited fearfully in the towns beyond. The elderly, the mothers and children... Eolan was tired, as was the woman to his right. The two of them would not last much longer nor would what was left of the resistance. However, each silently resolved that it did not matter and they would kill as many as possible before they succumbed to exhaustion and death themselves. Onward they rode, destroying what they could of the demon army and protecting the wounded as the sky became a dusky blue. Suddenly, as the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountains, a beam of radiance erupted from the castle. Its brightness shamed the sun, and the knight stood beside the Sheikah lady as they sheilded thier eyes to the brilliance. Then, as the light faded, from all around the bodies began to drop. The battle field went silent as one by one the vast army of the dead fell to piles of bones and all seemed to pause; watching as the corpses fell still into the dirt. The Bulbin quickly scattered and retreated into the hills as their inevitable defeat became clear. Impa looked on quietly in awe.

"It is over..." She nearly whispered.

Eolan looked absently over the field.

"They have done it."

Zelda, a mournful wail building in her chest, tried once again to force her muscles to obey her as her blood throbbed painfully in her veins. Finally, groaning under the strain, the princess jerked herself upright, standing unsteadily for a moment before crashing again to her hands and knees; a small, heartbroken sob escaping her as she tried desperately to move toward the fallen figure of the boy. She pulled herself up again, unable to think, her extremities still deadened with the poison. She shakily made her way to the loved, battered form lying still upon the ground. Unable to control her tears, she prayed that somehow he still lingered there, that she would be allowed a moment with him before she was alone again. The entire center of the room was splattered with the blood of both the demon and his vanquisher. Feeling very nearly mad with grief, she knelt beside him, his blood soaking the hem of her dress. He was pale and motionless as she softly laid a shivering hand to his face, tilting it limply toward her. He did not stir, the silence she felt inside of him all-consuming as she realized that the boy was already gone. Gently, she shifted him into her lap best as her protesting ligaments would allow. Cradling his head, the princess wept bitterly at the great injustice that lay in a mortal heap in her arms.

"Link…You cannot be dead…" She whispered.

She slid her hand down to the wound above the boy's heart; his blood soaking her fingers like oil. She let her hot, ruddy forehead touch his, feeling as if something was tearing its way through her and she sobbed until her muscles ached. She smoothed her hand over his head, his wheat-colored hair still damp with sweat, and spoke softly to him through her tears.

"...I'm so sorry, Link... I never meant for this... for your lives to be so short... so full of death and misery... I… I'm sorry that I was so useless... I'm sorry for all of it... I understand now... that this is my punishment for forcing the world on your shoulders... and still, it is you who pays... Link… if you can hear me... I need you to know... I love you… I have always loved you… and because of this... because I chose you...you die... again and again… it's so unfair… If only the Gods would be merciful and let me join you this time… I cannot bear it." She said, holding him tighter, her voice cracking.

Her head spun, and she thought for a moment that perhaps the Gods had heard her and granted her request as darkness took her, and she fell beside the dead boy, unconscious.

She awakes in a vast sea of blackness; seeming to step over water as she surveys the emptiness of the space. In the distance she sees a light flickering and so, with a strange sensation of being pulled, she steps toward it; feeling as though she is moving between two great spheres of being. It is a dream, and yet it is not as she drifts through the dark, her mind hazy as she seems to peel away from all that is physical. As she approaches the light, she watches as the blackness of the sky begins to slowly dissolve into blue as the emptiness melts away. In its place, amaranthine gardens bloom before her eyes and a warm weightlessness covers her as she seems to step into eternity itself. She can feel him everywhere here. Before her, the light slowly begins to materialize and to her wonder, three blinding lights float beside her with a hum loud and tangible despite the incorporeal nature of the place. Three crystalline voices speak.

"Welcome, little sister."

She walks timidly forward, her mind unhinging. The three forms dim, and shape themselves into beautiful specters though she cannot see entirely their features. She knows them, their presence sings to her like a lullaby of bygone days

"You have entered the realm of death. You, guardian of all magic, have followed them here, where the holder's spirit has passed." Din's voice booms.

Zelda blinks, her consciousness whirling in this strange and untethered place.

"If that is so... Am I dead too, then?"

"No, child! At long last, the Triforce is whole again and you have followed it here, to us!" Farore laughs

"It has been centuries. Now, you and the knight have restored balance, and life is safe once more." Says Nayru, her voice like butter and honey.

Zelda looked on at them, their light is brighter than the sun though it does not hurt to look at them.

"Yes...but the cost was great..." She whispers.

"The cost is always great, growth is painful." Says Farore.

Din seems to grow yet brighter.

"You must do something for us, little sister. The great power must be hidden away once more, in a place within reach of mortal hands but obscured from those who seek only it's might. You must take charge of this."

Zelda feels her throat knotting as she tried to speak.

"H...how?" She stammers.

"A new scared realm must be built of a pure heart. You must but wish and a new world will form... We have a gift for you." Nayru says.

Zelda opened her eyes. Slowly, she faded back into the dull, throbbing pain in her nerves as she looked around at the destroyed throne room now awash with the sunrise. For a moment, she lay in a numb, tearful stupor, realizing suddenly that she still lay beside the fallen Link. Bleakness gripping her heart, she pulled herself up to sitting, looking to the boy aside. She gazed on at him, her blue-violet eyes widening. He was breathing, his cheeks colored with the blood that ran anew in his veins. Breathlessly, her hands at her mouth, she watched as the boy awoke. He opened his eyes, glancing dreamily at his surroundings before he pulled himself upright. He rested his aching head in his hands, trying to make sense of what had happened as memories of the previous hours came back to him. He looked himself drowsily over; the large gash in his arm and side were gone and his broken ribs mended. He glanced down at his blood soaked chest, to the hole in his mail. He brought his fingers to it, touching his bare flesh as he probed inside and he breathed a small laugh of disbelief. He looked then to Zelda kneeling behind him. She stared back at him with wide, glistening eyes for a moment before she moved unsteadily forward. She threw her arms around him, laughing softly through tears. Link held her tight against him for a time before gently pulling back, looking down into her eyes. Zelda brushed the tears from her cheeks. Smiling, she let her head fall against his chest as he slid his arms around her shoulders

"I heard you, you know..." He said, laying a hand against her head.

"Did you?" She asked, looking up at him, her eyes bright in the dawn.

He nodded, a tender grin spreading on his mouth.

He held her for a moment more before he pulled away to sit beside her, entwining his fingers in hers. Their eyes found one another's, and the boy smiled again.

"He was wrong you know, all that stuff about you stealing my free will. I made my choice a long time ago." Said Link.

Zelda raised an eyebrow in confusion and the boy softly brushed the backs of his fingers against her face.

"I heard your thoughts for a minute...after I touched the Triforce... Hylia gave me an out all those lifetimes ago, Zelda. She even told me that if I accepted this mission, there was no turning back... that it would be forever... But I did it anyway...and I did it on my own... I accepted whatever came with it because... this is who I wanted to be. I did it because... I've always loved Hyrule that much...and I wanted with my whole heart to defend it, and... I did it because she asked me to... me..." He said

Zelda dropped her gaze, her mind fumbling for words she took his hand and enfolded it in each of hers. Her disheveled hair fell over her eyes.

"Link... I..." She began.

She felt him squeeze her hand reassuringly as he shifted himself to face her.

"...And, while it's true that Hylia didn't understand love the way humans experience it, and to her it was a means to an end, she gave me you... Like I said, you're Zelda... not Hylia... No matter how many times... no matter what happens...all of it's worth it... because there's you...and... I love you, Zelda." Said Link.

The princess stared up at the boy, nearly overcome as he drew closer. He gently took the crown from her head, lovingly sweeping the hair from her face before he replaced it there. Taking her cheek in his hand, Link brought his lips to hers. The princess wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss, his lips warm, soft and sweet beneath her own; so many centuries they had waited. They each lingered there for a moment, their eyes closed as the boy touched his forehead to hers. She sighed, at last.

Hand in hand, Link and the princess walked together into the morning, the battlefield quiet outside of the castle walls. As they made their way across the bridge and back out into the windswept plains, the two stopped short at the sight of the smoldering, body strewn field. Each of them surveyed the damage in stunned silence. On the crest of the hill, riding quickly toward them they saw the familiar figures of Yolandae upon the battle weary Midge along with Khai, and Rue drawing near in the morning light. Eolan and Impa stood watching in the distance, the army behind them, as the family approached one another. Rue hopped quickly down from Epona's back. Her broken arm crudely splinted, she held her almost-brother with her good arm as tears welled in her throat. Her mother followed behind, disheveled and bloody but smiling still. Rue buried her face in the hollow between the boy's neck and shoulder as she spoke.

"Link...I'm so happy you're okay… I didn't think you were coming back..." She said, her voice wet and tense.

The boy wrapped his arms around her.

" It's over..." Said Link, looking behind her shoulder to the grinning faces of Khai and Yolandae.

Khai turned to Zelda, her dress smeared with blood, her golden hair wild beneath her crown, eyes still brimming. He smiled, nudging her gently.

"That's a good look for you princess, the red really brings out your eyes." He joked.

Zelda let out a drowsy chuckle, quickly wiping her cheeks she clasped his hand in hers. He smiled warmly back at her and then turned, practically throwing Link over his shoulder as he pulled the boy into an embrace. Link couldn't help but laugh, happy to be once again in the company of the living.

"Good job kid." Khai simply said, dropping the boy back to his feet.

Impa and Eolan watched the reunion from the hill top, each of them wearing small grins of relief; both alight with pride in their young princess, she had more than lived up to her father's namesake.

"She did well, I think." Said Eolan.

Impa nodded.

"She did, as did the boy. Hyrule will be rebuilt now by just and noble hands." She said.

Eolan smiled.

"Yes…" He said.

He watched as Zelda stood in the field, Link's hand in hers as a warm wind swept them.

"Do you think… Zelda and the boy…" Eolan began.

Impa chuckled softly.

"Most likely… The two of them have shadowed one another, I believe, since the beginning of time. It seems only natural." She said.

The two of them regarded each other for a moment before they turned again to watch the victorious young ones below. The war was over. The present had been won.