He woke up into darkness. W-W-Where am I? He tried to remember how he'd gotten there. Sheik. Sheik attacked me with magic. Fortunately, Sheik didn't tie him up, so Link had free use of his arms and legs. At least what the dimensions of this small space gave him. Lying flat on his back, Link started to feel around. Wait, something was on his chest. Grabbing it, Link realized it was his Hylian Shield and the Master Sword. Why would Sheik let him keep these things? Link remember about underground battle arenas. Fight clubs where people betting on gladiators fighting to the death. If Sheik had put him in one of these...

Link tapped his foot against the space. The end of the space turned like a door, a torch illuminated light from the other side. Link shuffled his way out and looked around. I'm back in the castle. He realized. This must be one of the secret passages. Why would Sheik take him into Hyrule Castle? How did Sheik get him inside Hyrule Castle? He'll figure that out later. Agahnim was approaching. Rushing through the passage, Link came to a wall and a lever. Pulling down the lever, the wall slid open and Link went through. He found himself in the Royal Library. Good. He wasn't far from the King's Quarters. He walked down the library wall, and that's when he heard the screaming.

He looked outside the window, and-

Oh my Gods.

Hyrule had been invaded.

Agahnim was already here.

How long was I asleep? Link looked up at the sun shining brightly. It was midday. Agahnim really had been closing in. And Sheik didn't tell anyone. Sheik had stuff Link in a hole and ran off. This was Sheik's fault. If Link ever got the chance again, Sheik was dead.

A legion of Daria came through the streets, hurling out axes as Hylians screamed and ran for cover. He had to get down there. They needed him.

Then Link heard a thunderous boom. Dozens of arrows came pouring out of nowhere, wiping the legion out in an instant. Link moved across the window to see what was going on.

Groose was calling out orders on hwatcha teams, making every barrage of arrows hit their mark. Still, no monster should ever have even made it this far.

He had to get out there.

Activating the Triforce, Link started running. Zelda. He froze. Where was Zelda? Did she get out? Is she somewhere in the castle? He had to make sure she was safe.

A wall exploded in front of him.

Girubokku, small eyeball demons, came pouring in. At the sight of Link, they rushed him. Link fired off Master Beams, obliterating them on impact. One of them dodged his beam and went for an attack, but Link blocked with his shield and cut the little beast in half. Others surrounded him, grabbing his arms with their tentacles on the backs of the eyes. Link started to slice the tentacles off, but as more and more piled on him, he was unable to move his arms. After restraining him, a Girubokku wrapped its tentacles around his throat, trying to strangle him. Link desperately tried to free his arms, but the

Girubokku had firm control over him, and he was losing oxygen fast. The room was started to get fuzzy...

In one last effort, Link bit into the tentacles, chomping down hard. The Girubokku instantly released him in pain. Link wrenched his arms free and started hacking them all down, all the while gasping for breath.

Once they were all slain, Link kept moving forward. Link thought about calling out for Zelda, but he decided against it. Who knows what else was lurking in this castle.

But eventually, he found her. "Zelda!" He cried out.

"Link?" Zelda turned her head, perplexed. There with Zelda, was two guards, and... Link?

"What the-"

The other Link smiled, winked, and stabbed the first guard in the throat with a dagger. As the other guard raised his sword, Link hurled a bolt of lightning at him, blasting him through the wall.

"Agahnim." Zelda realized in horror, stepping away. Agahnim had kidnapped her before. That was what had set Link off on his quest.

"Hello there princess." Agahnim reverted back to his true form, a demonic tall blue creature with long black claws. "I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me. And just as I calculated: the Hero is here to save the day once again."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Link fired a Master Beam, blasting Agahnim back. That won't keep him down for long. The only thing that could kill Agahnim was the power of all three pieces of the Triforce. A long time ago, Agahnim tried to obtain the power of the gods and as punishment cursed to wander the earth for centuries. But with time came knowledge, and Agahnim became the most powerful sorcerer there was. A perfect servant for Ganon.

"Come on Link! We have to go!"

"Zelda, where are we going?!" Link ran behind her, keeping his shield ready to defend her from any attack.

"The city is surrounded. The only way we can leave is under. I know all of the underground passages. We can escape through there."

"Not so fast!" Agahnim hurled a fireball at them. Link deflected the fireball with his shield, and it came back to blast Agahnim in the face. Agahnim screamed has his face was being scorched by his own power.

Link charged him and stabbed the old sorcerer with the Master Sword straight through the heart. Dragging the impaled demon across the floor, Link followed up by kicking Agahnim through the window. Agahnim's body crashed through a burning fruit stand. Good. That should keep him down for a few minutes.

"Link! Zelda!"

"Impa!" Link turned. "Agahnim just-" Link's face turned to shock at the sight of Impa. She was covered in blood.

"Don't worry, it's not mine." She wiped some of the blood on the white walls. "I was just busy clearing a path so that the king was safe. He instructed me to come find you two now. He's already at the safe grounds, and he's waiting for you."

"Alright then, come on Link, let's go!"

"Hold on Zelda. Link and I need to talk battle strategy. There are numerous locks on the route we're supposed to go through. I know you know the passwords. Go unlock them. Link and I will catch up soon."

"Make it fast!" Zelda ran through the corridor.

"Battle strategy? What do you mean?" Link asked.

Impa looked at him, finger brushing against her side. A kunai was waiting.

Once Zelda is secured, kill Link. Stuff his body into a fireplace and burn it. His blood will never touch Ganon's ashes.

The words of her king echoed in her mind. A fireplace was just a room or two away. Link has his guard down. It was an order from the king. It was her job to carry out his will. It made sense. She was supposed to be able to do whatever was deemed necessary.

She could make it quick. Almost painless.

"Impa?" Link repeated. She had been silent for a few seconds too long. Time was of the essence.

"Just look outside Link," Impa said, voice giving off the slightest tremble. Looking him in the eye as she was about to end his life was just a little bit too difficult. Maybe she could do it with his back turned. What are we going to do?

"Impa, before we do all of that, look: they're here for me." Link said. "All of this is about me. I'll draw them away from the city."

"How do you plan on getting out? We're surrounded.

"With the Triforce's speed, I can make a run for it. Once I get outside, I'll lead them away and give us time to recover."

He was either trying to do anything he possibly could to save his skin or completely naive to the fact that everything would be easier if he just died right now. Either way, bless his heart.

"Link, I...I..."

I came here to kill you.

Impa choked up. "I'll go see if the stables are clear." She ran down the hall, silently cursing herself for her cowardice. It seemed she wasn't as tough as was thought.

Link looked outside again. Groose was down in the streets, holding his sword up as he was being surrounded by monsters. He didn't have a chance.

For a split second Link frozen, the thought of not saving Groose infected his mind. Would Groose do the same for him? Never.

But, Groose was a Hylian fighting for his home. Not to mention the top general. No, he had to do this. With a small groan, Link opened up the window. He would have to do this just right. Running back to give himself a chance to build up speed, Link charged and dove out of the window, Master Sword ready.

Thunder.

Link plunged his sword into the ground. Bolts of lightning emerged from the ground in a shockwave, electrocuting all of the monsters around him.

"You're still alive?!" Groose said in shock at the sight of his savior.

"Fortunately for you, yes I am." Link looked around. The street was full of dead monsters and soldiers, but he could hear more fighting close by. "Got to go."

"Wait, you're running into the horde of monsters that need you?! Are you insane?!" Groose grabbed his shoulders. He had half a mind to kill Link himself.

"Well? What are you going to do?" Link asked. "How bad is it? How did they even get this far?"

"We were told of their arrival hours in advance. They used invisibility magic to get past our armies. After hastily preparing defenses, we managed to bombard them a before they got close. But they just kept coming and coming and coming. We had to retreat. They pushed us all the way back here-"

"THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" The bat-like Achemen swooped down from high above, giving out harsh screeches.

Groose grabbed fallen spears strewn along the ground and started hurtling them furiously. The Achemen dropped like stones. Groose did not become General of the Armies Of Hyrule with bad aim.

"Look out!" Link fired a Master Beam at one that dived down at Groose from overhead. It exploded into a puff of smoke.

"I think that's the last of them over here," Groose said. "We're starting to push them back, but it's taking everything we've got to repel them. And I just know there are a few stragglers around here. AND WHEN I FIND YOU-" He shouted at no one in particular. "I'M GOING TO KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" He turned back to Link. "Anyways, since your still alive, come with me. Might as well put the Triforce of Courage to good use."

"I can't Groose. I'm going to flee the city and hopefully, they chase after me."

"What?! That's insane! That's idiotic! There's no way that's going to work."

"Do you have a better idea? If you want me out on the front I can do that, but you know what happens if I bleed. And no doubt they will send everything and everyone to me."

"No, but-"

"Then I'm leaving."

Gross grabbed his shoulder. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Don't you have someplace to be?!" Link snapped. "Right now our home is burning to the ground around us and your men need you! Trust me for once in your life!"

The Triforce of Courage brought out courage within those the bearer decided to effect around them.

"Fine." He released his grasp on Link. "If Ganon is resurrected because of you, I'll kill you myself."

"Good luck Groose."

"Whatever."

Link started sneaking through the streets, always cautious to not be spotted. When he came across one or two monsters, he would sneak up behind them and stab them in the back, gutting them instantly. He shot Master Beams at unsuspecting enemies that were out of reach overhead. Just because he was in a hurry didn't mean he couldn't take out the trash.

He had almost reached the stables when he heard someone shout his name.

"LIIIIIIINK!"

Agahnim's voice rang through the air. "OH LIIIIINK!" Agahnim repeated. "COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! I'VE GOT SOMETHING I JUST KNOW YOU WILL INTERESTED IN!"

Link initially ignored it and kept moving, but that's when everything else went quiet.

No sounds of metal clashing.

No screaming and shouting of warriors.

Nothing.

He turned around. The battle had come to an abrupt halt. Everyone was looking at Agahnim floating high in the air.

Link looked closer and-

Zelda.

He went wide-eyed with terror. Zelda was dangling in the air with Agahnim, Agahnim's hand firmly wrenched around her throat.

"I KNOW ALL ABOUT THOSE SECRET PASSAGES!" The sorcerer continued. "NO ONE CAN HIDE FROM ME. I ALWAYS GET MY TARGET! NOW SHOW YOURSELF OR I DROP HER!"

"DON'T DO IT LINK! RUN! YOU -CHUAK!" Agahnim clenched down tighter, choking the life out of her.

"10 SECONDS LINK!" Agahnim screamed. "10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!-"

"AGAHNIM!" Link shouted, coming out into the grassy field. "I'M RIGHT HERE! LET HER GO!"

Agahnim smiled with satisfaction. His prey was right where he wanted. "Of course Hero." He said in a sickly sweet voice. "However, I do have to say: very poor choice of words.

Agahnim let go of Zelda. She had served her useful-

He felt himself fall through the air, weighed down by something. Zelda had grabbed on to his arm, kunai in hand. One of that wretch Impa's kunai, in fact. The housemaid had prepared Zelda better than he had thought.

Zelda plunged the blade into Agahnim's stomach, only to rip it out of him and stab him again and again and again. Burdened by his wounds, he fell to the ground with a rough landing, Zelda in tow.

"Zelda!" Link started running to her, ecstatic that she was okay.

"Link..." Zelda had felt a little sore upon crashing to the ground, but she was for more or less okay. Wait, what was that black thing floating in the air?

"Zelda, come quick! We need to get out of here and-"

Agahnim's body turned into smoke, fading away.

"That was a clone!" Link realized. Then where's the REAL AG-

CHKURRGK!

Link gasped, shock all over his face.

"LINK!" Zelda shrieked as her husband fell to the ground, dagger driven into his side.

Agahnim pulled the dagger out of Link's body. He then pulled out the real jar of Ganon's ashes. Ah, the clone trick. Works every time. Setting the jar down and opening it, content to let the blood drip in and-

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"

Zelda threw her dagger and it tore right through Agahnim's throat. Agahnim stumbled back, stunned.

"Link!" Zelda knelt down beside Link. Blood was spilling out of his mouth.

"Ash...es..."

The ashes were right there. This was her chance. End it all. Right here. Right now.

Zelda scooped the jar up to toss the ashes into the wind.

Aganihm tore the knife out of his neck as Zelda reached down. No. NO. "I WILL NOT BE DENIED!" Charging forward, Agahnim pounced on Zelda like a wild animal, firm grip on the handle. Zelda barely saw it smashed through the glass jar before plunging his into Zelda herself, right to the hilt.

Zelda fell over as the ashes fell to the ground.

"NOOOOOO!"

Link sprang up and drove down the Master Sword, overwhelmed with the one thought of hacking this sorcerer into pieces. Agahnim turned and swiped with the dagger. Link dodged it and struck. Running right through Agahnim's body, Link drove the Master Sword into the ground, impaling Agahnim and almost suspending him mid-air. He turned his gaze away from the demon and looked at Zelda. Her dress was getting redder and redder.

"ZELDA!" Link tried to press down on the wound. But Zelda just kept bleeding. Hssssss...

"Zelda. I am so sorry." Link said through tears. Hsssssss... "This was my fault. I was wrong. I was wrong about everything."

"L-L-L-Link." Zelda reached up and grabbed his arm. Her face rapidly grew pale. Hsssssss... "Please." She coughed. "Do one last thing. One last thing for me."

"Anything. Link stared into her eyes. The light was fading from them. Hsssssss...

"Run." Zelda's arm slowly fell to the ground, going slack.

"Zelda..." Link embraced his wife in his arms. "I'm sorry." He whispered in her ears. "I love you."

An explosion behind him brought Link back to his senses. Turning back, he watched blood-soaked ashes rise into the air, smoke fizzing and popping with a nasty hiss.

The clouds started swirling, getting darker at an exponential rate. The wind started howling in anticipation, gale-force winds blowing in from out of nowhere. Black bolts of lighting started crashing down from the sky. A black beam of pure darkness touched down to the ground, eradicating the grass around it.

"Can you feel it?" Aganhim said as he pulled the Master Sword from out of his body. "Can you sense it?" He said wide-eyed. His face radiated pure ecstasy at the hideous sight before him. "Here he comes."

Another explosion, this one infinitely times louder than the last.

A ginormous blue hand reached out from the beam with long sharp claws at the end. A second hand came out of the beam, not only wielding a gigantic trident but the Triforce of Power. Eventually, the rest of his body stepped out: a huge frame with thick armor that sported the skulls of former warriors foolish enough to challenge him. A boar-like face with razor-sharp tusks that could tear through anything in their path.

Opening his red eyes, he gazed at everything around him, and everything around him gazed back. Showtime.

"FINALLY!" His thunderous voice boomed throughout the air. "IT FEELS SO GOOD, TO BE BACK!" His demonic cackle sent a shiver down the spine of everyone listening, including his own men. The Triforce of Power radiated fear indiscriminately.

"Master Ganon!" Aganhim bowed down. "It's such a pleasure to have you back!"

"THE PLEASURE IS ALL MINE, OLD FRIEND!" Ganon smiled. "THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A COMING OUT PARTY!"

He looked at his army of demons. "THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! EACH AND EVERY ONE! REJOICE! YOUR EFFORTS WERE NOT IN VAIN!"

His army broke out in raucous cheering.

"And a bonus your majesty, I bring you a gift: the Triforce of Courage!"

"REALLY NOW?!" Ganon licked his chops. Vengeance was going to be so delicious.

"Yes, here is your prone enemy, and your awaiting Triforce piece, right here!" Agahanim proudly showed off Link, lying on the ground in ag-

"WH-WHERE IS HE?" Ganon looked down and peered into the grass. Nothing was there. Was Link invisible?

"What? Agahnim looked over. Link was just there. "Where, where did he go?"

"AGAHNIM!" Ganon roared.

"He was just right there! I swear!"

"FIND HIM!" He shouted. "ALL OF YOU! FIND LINK AND BRING HIM TO ME! RIGHT! THIS! INSTANT!"


"Run."

Her last word was seared into his mind. Giving his body a foreign strength he could never produce himself.

Ganon had been resurrected, His army was backing him, and even if he had his Eagle Bow on him, he had no Silver Arrows to fight with.

To run was the only option he had left.

But to where? The castle would undoubtedly fall. Once news of Ganon's revival spread, his armies would raze the earth searching for him. He would eventually be captured. As fast as he ran, there was nowhere to run. And eventually, there would be nowhere to hide. The war was over. He had failed.

Ganon won.

Groose had been right all along.

He deserved to die.

No. He had to keep fighting. For Zelda. He couldn't think about the future when he was struggling to live in the present. All that mattered now was survival. Find a safe space. Recover, regroup. There had to be something he could d-

SKRRRTCH!

He ran through a bush and screamed upon exiting, falling down. He turned around and looked at. What was on that bush?

Blood. Sticky blood painted the bush red. Several insects were already drinking in this unexpected meal.

Link's eyes fell to his own body. Numerous cuts on his body came to light, and he became reminded of the stab wound from Agahnim...

Keep going. Don't think about it.

Link got up and kept running. He could hear shouting in the distance. Don't stop. Stop and you're dead. He thought to himself.

He tripped over a large tree root, falling over and landing face first in bog water. Keep going. He staggered back to his feet. Keep going... He bent over and let out a fierce cough. Drops of blood fell into the water.

Dying. He was dying. He was dying and there was nothing he could do about it.

No. You can't give up. You promised her. You promised her you would live.

Zelda. Link wiped the blood off of his mouth and limped through the bog, soaking wet and bleeding out. Maybe he could get out of here. Maybe the wound wasn't too bad. Maybe he wouldn't get an infection...

He collapsed, taxed body finally giving out. As he tried to crawl through the mud, he noticed the Triforce on his hand. It was flickering on and off, the bright light fading more and more with each passing flash. The Triforce was waiting for him to die. This bearer had reached his end. He heard the shouting and the heavy stomps of feet close in. He was in no position to defend himself.

The Triforce would not have to wait much longer.

"I'm sorry Zelda." He whispered tearfully, closing his eyes, giving way to unconsciousness. "Forgive me..."


Oh no, you're so dang wicked

You got me by the throat

Oh no, got your claws stuck in me

You never let me go