Nature Sage - Ch 12
Princess Zelda cast her power into a shining portal of light. No one made a move. They all knew that this would be the final battle, which would either bring them victory or defeat. Footsteps were rushing down the hall. Malon turned to see who it was.
"We want to help, too," one of the four people who had come said. "We've come together, against Paige's will, to help the Nature Sages in their plight."
Malon paused. "And you are..?"
"Oh!" One of them stepped forward. "My name is Ashley. I am the Virgo Sage." She looked down at Trevor. "I hear you know my daughter?" she laughed.
"Um, yeah," Trevor said. His mother smiled and hugged him. She had decided to allow him go into battle, since Link could not go for him. The Hero of Time was needed for this battle, but not right away.
"This is the Sagittarius Sage, Evan, and the Gemini Sages, Eric and Daniel. They're twins."
"I thought there was only one Gemini Sage?" Melody said, confused. "Thirteen Zodiac Sages?"
"We only count as one," Eric and Daniel said together. Melody nodded, and turned back to the portal.
"Are we ready?" Leona asked, suddenly looking determined. "Let's get this over and done with! Come on, before he comes in here!"
"See, I have earth powers, and Eric and Daniel have air powers," Ashley explained, following everyone else into the portal. "Evan has light powers. Those are our signs, get it?"
Finally, the portal closed, and before anyone knew it, the battle had begun. Ganondorf was nowhere in sight.
"How are we supposed to fight to the death if there's no enemy?" Ruto pouted. "I can't take this kind of treatment!"
"So you're trying to commit suicide here?" Lukas asked, giving her a quizzical look.
"No!" she protested.
"All right, people," Malon said. "Obviously, Ganondorf went back to the Evil Realm. Or maybe he was just a hallucination to begin with."
"Those cuts and bruises were definitely real," Link said resentfully, speaking of their previous encounter with Ganondorf.
"Either way," Malon said, "I'm not going back into that 'virtual battle' thing I did last time. That was way too scary. Zelda, you go."
"Me?" the Princess said incredulously. "But then what will we do with my kingdom?"
"After you die, you mean?" Link joked. Zelda scowled.
"You'll have to marry someone," Trevor said slyly. "How about.. Link?"
"Aah!" Link squealed quietly, glaring fiercely at Trevor. The people right near him snickered.
"I suppose I could do that," Zelda said, looking thoughtful. "But no one here performs weddings."
"I occasionally do," Rauru volunteered. "What do you say, Princess? Link?"
"Ummm.." Link stammered.
"I'll do it. It'd be safer, right? I trust Link with my kingdom."
"All right then. Do you, Princess Zelda, take Link to be - "
"I hate to break up this heartwarming occurrence," someone called, "but it's making me sick. Just attack me already! I'm standing right here!"
Mostly everyone whirled around to see Ganondorf, grinning and holding his sword. "I guess his sneaking-up approach never gets old," Link commented, trying to brighten his mood. "I'll go stand over there until you guys are ready for me."
Zelda smiled. "I would have done it, too," she said. Link's face showed a slight sign of a smile, but then he turned and went behind the Sages.
"Zodiac Sages, attack!" Melody yelled. All of them ran forward and raised their arms.
"Don't do it, you're gonna get killed," Malon whispered, watching in fear.
A circle of a planet formed above all of them, blue and green with white, fluffy clouds. It began to crumble, golden sunlight pouring from the holes. Various animal and people symbols projected from it, and they simultaneously shot bolts of magic toward Ganondorf. He cried out in pain, but when the light faded, he looked unfazed. "That was weak. You can't possibly hurt me unless all of you are here, Sages of the Zodiac! Your chances have just run out!" With that, he shot a red beam from his sword, and they all disappeared.
The Nature Sages all stared at where they had once been, terrified. "W-w-watch out for that," Zelda said. "We have everyone here, don't we?"
"Not quite everyone," a voice boomed from behind. No one turned around except Impa.
"Darunia!" she cried happily. "Now our team is complete! Nature Sages, attack together!"
They all raised their arms in much the same way that the Zodiac Sages had, and multicolored balls of light formed above them. Sparks flew, and jolts of energy shot out at Ganondorf. "NOW, Link!" Zelda screamed. Link ran forward and swiped at him with the Rod of Fire, but nothing happened.
"Hah!" Ganondorf laughed. "I am unstoppable! Not even the Hero of Time's weapon works on me!"
"Maybe I should have practiced with this," Link thought aloud, looking it over for a fire button.
"Maybe you practiced too late!" Ganondorf cried, shooting his red beam at Link. He screamed, and was gone with the Zodiac Sages.
The thought of Link's being gone took a moment to sink in to everyone, with Ganondorf laughing hysterically.
"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!?" Trevor panicked. "Link had to be the one to use that! We're dead!"
Zelda ran over and picked up the fallen weapon. "Let's all try to use it then," she suggested, trying not to panic herself. She swiped it at their enemy, and nothing happened. She passed it to Malon. Again, nothing happened. She passed it to Ruto.
"Look!" the Zora Princess cried. "A spark!"
"That was your imagination," Impa said, taking the weapon. She tried using it, and again, nothing.
"You're doing it wrong," Trevor said, when it was passed to him. "You have to use your imagination!"
"How do you know?" Lukas asked skeptically.
"I'm a kid. Imagining is what I do best." He tried the Rod, but nothing happened. "I give up. You try it," he said, passing it to Leona.
"This is useless," she complained. "It only works with Link! I say we just fight."
"No!" Zelda said. "You try it, then pass it to Darunia. They're Sworn Brothers, so it might work for him."
She sighed. "I've got a better idea," she said, grinning.
"Oh, no. We're going to hate this," Nabooru warned.
Leona smiled, then threw the thing with all her might toward their foe, who was still relishing in his victory over Link. It hit the ground inched in front of him, and ignited into magical, orange flames. Ganondorf screamed, and started shrinking. He shrunk and shrunk until he was gone. The last thing they heard from him was, "As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand! You'll never defeat me!"
Aries, Melody, Link, and the others all reformed in midair in front of the Sages. They crashed to the ground, and cries of pain could be heard for several minutes. Finally, they got up and went back to the castle.
*~*~*~*~*
"I can't believe we won," Zelda said, sitting with Link, Malon, Ruto, Aries, Nabooru, and Leona in her throne room. "I thought we were dead the second that the Zodiac Sages disappeared.
"So did I," Aries admitted. "But then, when Link got there, I was sure we were dead."
"Why did the Rod work for you, but not for Link?" Ruto asked Leona, taking another sip of Lon Lon Milk.
Leona shrugged. "The whole thing just kind of worked, you know? I threw it instead of using it. That was probably it. Maybe it only works within a few feet on the evil."
"Whatever happened, we left the Rod there," Nabooru said, disappointed. "I would have liked toying with it."
"It wouldn't work if you used it," Link pointed out. "'Cause me and Leona are special. We deserve the best."
Malon smiled, sitting on the red, silky throne. "That was fun, though, wasn't it? I mean, sure, we all almost died, but that just made it cooler to live through."
"I wouldn't put it that way," Aries said. Nabooru laughed.
"I would," she said. "It's what I live for, eluding death at the last possible second."
"Oh, really?" Link said, half-drawing his sword. "Well then.."
"I was joking," she said hurriedly, in mock fear.
Navi flew into the room. "Great! You won!" she praised. "But now, my friends, it is time to give up your power and return to your normal lives."
"Give up my power?" Ruto said, looking sad. "But how will I get home? I can't walk!"
"It's not all that hard," Zelda said.
"Yes it is! You weren't as spoiled as I was growing up!" Everyone laughed.
"Aries, Paige is looking for you. Boy, are you in trouble!" Trevor said, coming into the room.
Aries groaned. "Great. Mel probably told her what happened. I love my cousin, I really do; but she's such a ditz! Farewell, everyone," he said, giving Zelda a hug. "Good luck in your marriage," he teased, then left.
Ruto turned to Malon. "Do you remember when that kid was a quiet, shy, deep thinker?" she asked. Malon smiled.
"That was before we turned him into one of us," she laughed.
"Everyone, transfer your powers into your stones," Navi instructed, the stones magically appearing in their hands. "If and when another crisis arises, you or your descendants will be given the powers held within these stones."
"What about everyone else?" Link asked as the Sages were doing that.
"They've finished already. I've got their stones back in the Circle. And Zelda, here is your Triforce piece."
Zelda gaped at the radiant, blue crystal that appeared. "I keep this?"
"Yes. Keep it out of harm's way. The other two are in what will now be known as the Triforce tower. DO NOT LET GANON GET THEM! Now, happy lives everyone!" And, with a wave of her arms, Navi sent everyone back to where they were in the beginning.
"Malon!" Talon called. "There's someone here to see you!"
Malon rubbed her eyes. What a dream! The memories of it were already beginning to fade, but being a Sage was fun while it lasted. Someday, Malon knew, that dream would come true for her and everyone else in it.
"Hey, Malon," Link said. "You have a dream you want to tell me about?"
"Yes," she said, amazed. "How did you know?"
"Navi told me you would."
"Strange.. Navi was in my dream, too.." She prepared her horse, and she and Link set off to Lake Hylia for their usual picnic, and Malon told him all about the dream that only he knew as a reality.
-+-chapter twelve: complete-+-
Yuck. Bad ending. But it's the best I can do! Remember, endings are not my strong point! This whole thing went way too fast..
All's well, though. The story is finished. Tomorrow I'm posting the whole thing in one condensed file. Anyway, I hope you liked it, so please review!!
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