Link steeled himself with a few measured breaths. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, bringing him close to either nervousness or excitement, he wasn't in a place to figure out. The sword was almost humming in his hands, in a similar state of awareness. He adjusted his grip a few times before walking to the casket.
The room shook violently, and he braced himself. On its own, the lid slid open, and fell to the floor, shattering. Out from the casket rose a shadowy figure who became more material with each passing moment.
"So, you think you're ready enough you're willing to release me?" Ganon asked, his voice deep and powerful despite his still slight form. Slowly he grew in stature right before Link's eyes. "We have the same hair color now, what a strike of fate."
Link narrowed his eyes, guard at the ready.
"You've broken my sword as well, no matter, I can remanifest that with time."
He'd finally materialized enough to touch the floor. His features were still largely shrouded in darkness, and he was clothed in a dark purple robe. "I don't need a sword to destroy all you hold dear though, chosen hero." He looked around with glowing red eyes. "Where is that precocious princess that always seems to pop up when you're around. I'd capture her if I could. That was always fun…"
With a pulse of energy he manifested fully, growing to be twice Link's height. "I've been building my power this whole time, waiting for my chance to break out." He lowered his eyes into a menacing glare. "I can't imagine the arrogance to let me out early, but then again, that was always your greatest flaw."
He released an attack of dark energy, of which Link only barely parried. The energy was cold and tried to sap the life from his soul. His eyes widened. This was much more than he expected.
The witch had been difficult to defeat, but he'd also been 14 at the time. He'd grown much since then, but still he could feel the difference in their power. He was just a man– sure he had the triforce of courage and a magic sword, but the heroic spirit did little to set him apart. Ganon– Ganon was power incarnate. Malice and destruction were his pastimes.
For a second, terror gripped his heart, but then he remembered who he was, and dug in. He attacked with a yell, sword striking only the cloak, as Ganon disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room. His clothes were ancient in style now, but his face was still distorted by shadows.
"Always the hasty one… The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Ganon attacked again, this time clipping Link on his right arm. His hand went pins and needles, and Link instinctively knew if he let a more direct hit land he would've lost his hand.
The voice from his sword called out suddenly to him.
That tunnel leads outside.
Indeed there was a tunnel. Link threw a bomb and dashed towards the tunnel the sword indicated. Down the tunnel he sprinted, not daring– or needing– to look behind to confirm he was being chased. He could feel the castle shaking around him and wondered if it would survive this battle.
They were close to the surface, he could smell it in the air, and it was with his last leg he saw light. The light filled him with the strength to outrun the wizard-king behind him. He kicked out the grate at the end and fell into a free fall before pulling out his glider. The glider caught an updraft from the waterfall below, and pushed him up towards the field.
He summoned the Master Cycle and it materialized under him as he landed. Link thanked the goddess for letting Impa invent such a fine thing as a motorcycle. He mounted it from the air, too focused to acknowledge the uncomfortable landing.
With a roar, Ganon erupted from the grate, causing debris to cascade into the moat. He ascended like a spectre, a dark cloud surrounding him. He dived at Link, which he was able to dodge and strike. Where the sword had struck, dark purple and black sludge leaked out.
Determined, Link fired a few arrows, the speed he was traveling keeping the master cycle true on towards the rendezvous point. Ganon out paced him, but then seemed to falter in flight and fell to the ground. Link hesitated for a moment, but rode up to strike. A glancing blow was all he got, as Ganon rose again, swiping the wheels out from under him, sending him flying.
He landed hard, even with the proper technique, and Link wondered what sort of hero he was to be struck down so soon. Ganon loomed overhead as the beep of a Guardian beam locking on filled the field.
The blue beam that hit the King of Darkness seemed to surprise him more than hurt him, but it still drew his attention away from the Hero. Link ran to the overturned Master Cycle, mounting it again, and continued his way to the rendezvous point. The Guardian fired again and hit.
"Such interesting toys in this time," Ganon said, amused more than anything. Link glanced back to see an orb of dark energy striking the Guardian and short circuiting it, sending it into a confused stumble. But more were keying in to the location of their purpose. The being they were programmed to destroy. There were so many, all swarming Ganon as he grew angrier and angrier, swatting them down like flies. Still, it was wearing him down, as by the time they were near the rendezvous point, Ganon was no longer as amused as he was at the start.
Link saw Zelda's golden hair and was pleased to see her surrounded by Guardians, all firing down the monsters that spawned. And there were a lot of monsters. He couldn't find Paya in the fray, but made eye contact with Zelda as he approached her. Finishing typing on the Sheikah slate, she met his gaze and held out her hand. Still at a fairly fast speed he pulled her onto the bike.
Words weren't needed as she wrapped her arms around him. The Master Cycle went full speed away, while the Guardians pinned Ganon down. He didn't even know what to expect.
From the four corners of Hyrule burst blue beams of light, like the fury of the goddesses themselves. Link could feel heat on his back, though he wasn't sure if that was the cannon beams, or just Zelda.
In his ear she finally yelled over the din, "Turn around, the blast is over, it's time!"
He did as he was told and steered towards the now beastly looking Ganon. He was more pig in appearance, and roared ferally. The Guardians that had surrounded him all were posed deactivated, limp. He turned his gaze to the Hero and roared again.
"Drop me on this hill," Zelda told him.
He almost fought her, told her to take the bike, he would fight on foot, but with the look of the demon-beast Ganon he knew he needed the momentum from mounted combat to make a scratch, or even be a distraction. He dropped her off and only saw the glow from her hands for a brief moment as he charged towards the monster.
With a bomb arrow he decidedly got Ganon's attention. A stray Guardian scuttled in, firing off one shot before Ganon released a ray of dark energy that deactivated it violently. That gave Link the opening to ride in and slice down the side of the demon boar. He got out of range before it slammed it's feet down in a land shaking stomp.
A ray of light shot out from Zelda's direction– a light arrow! And struck Ganon on the flank. While the beast was distracted yet again, Link jumped up to catch the updraft from a grass fire started by one of the Guardian's blasts. Once overhead Ganon, he fell down in a stabbing strike. The boar-like demon howled in pain and bucked him off. As Link fell to the ground, his hands burned where they'd touched the acidic hide of the beast.
Another light arrow struck, this time on Ganon's shoulder. Instinctually, Link knew she only needed to hit one more, but when he glanced at her, he saw the paleness of her face, and strain of her body. In a mad dash he ran to her. A battalion of Guardians arrived to be trampled by Ganon, but they gave Link the time to get to the Princess and lend his strength.
He grabbed the bow over her hand, and she smiled weakly at him. Placing his other hand over her's on the bowstring, he helped her aim and draw. Ganon had noticed them finally, shaking the Guardians off, though weakly, as he staggered.
In his final act of terror, he charged the Hero and Princess. With a cry, Princess Zelda manifested the final light arrow and released it at Ganon. He was too close to miss.
He came to a crashing halt, face first in the earth. His body started to dissolve even as he weakly struggled and failed to stand. With her last ounce of strength, Zelda held out her hand, her other hand, the one with the triforce, was held in Link's.
Determined, holy light beamed onto the demon. "Back!" she commanded, "I seal you back under the castle to never see the light of day!"
He disintegrated before their eyes, being drawn back into the castle dungeons, a look of terror his last expression. The sun broke through clouds as his last fearsome cry died and Zelda's glow lessened.
She let out a breath before collapsing. Link caught her, and held her upright. She leaned into him and hugged him.
He felt his shirt dampen on his shoulder and it was with a shock he realized Zelda was crying. He held her closer and her tears turned to sobs. But his strength was also depleted and together they fell to the field. He didn't know how long they stayed there, but after a long while she finally got out a few words.
"We did it," she said.
He smiled broadly at that and felt tears of his own well up.
After another uncertain period, they gained the strength to stand, and it was hand in hand with unsteady steps did they make their way back to the castle.