AN: Okay, I'm going to say this right now and don't ever make me say it again: I. DO. NOT. OWN. ZELDA. This statement applies to this chapter and all those following, so HA, you can't sue me.
Aaaaaaaaaaanyway, I was looking at this story the other day because I was bored and it came to my attention that the whole thing was full of � those things. Well, it pissed me off, so I decided to go through and take 'em all out, and in so doing, I decided to change everything about this story that annoyed me, from key plot moments down to specific words. So now what we basically have here is a new and improved version of my story. Read it, it kicks ass.
Link raced up yet another flight of stairs. He could hear the mysterious organ music growing steadily louder and knew that at last, he must be nearing the top of the tower. The thought spurred him to run faster, and in a few seconds, he reached a broad landing and burst through its door.
Sure enough, sitting at an enormous pipe organ was Ganondorf, the King of Evil, and Link's greatest enemy. He did not appear to have noticed the boy's entry, though someone else did: at a faint rapping sound, our hero looked up to see an extremely frightened-looking Princess Zelda encased in a large pink crystal, knocking on the glass helplessly, gazing down breathlessly. The sight of this stiffened Link's resolve, and he approached Ganondorf with determination, his eyes blazing.
Link moved forward steadily until it became impossible that the Evil King remained unaware of his presence. Feigning disinterest, Ganondorf played on for perhaps a moment more, then slowly turned and faced his adversary. In a low, rumbling tone he said:
"For seven years I searched for those two Triforce pieces." The sound of his terrible voice echoed through the room. "But never... never did I imagine that they would be within you two!" He stood up from the organ bench, flinging back his cape (rather impressively, one had to admit) as he did so. His eyes glowed with a sinister light. "I command you to return them to me," he stated almost calmly in a way that taunted one to respond.
"Never," Link replied firmly without missing a beat. His stance did not waver an inch; his eyes still glowed with a certain passion. He was not turning back now. This was what he had been born to do, and by the Goddesses, he was going to do it.
Ganondorf's expression turned to fury. "These toys are too much for you!" he screamed, raising his gloved right hand and displaying the symbol emblazoned on the back of it: it was the Triforce mark, but the only triangle filled in was the top one. Power. Link looked down grimly to see the Triforce of Courage coming to light on his own hand, and knew that the same was happening to Zelda with hers of Wisdom. Ganondorf was laughing lightly.
"So," he remarked. "It is just as was foretold by our Princess. The pieces of the Triforce have been reunited at last." Link was filled with a warm feeling; his fatigue drained away from him as his muscles, bruised and sore, slowly recovered. Beyond him how, but he knew that this had to be the will of the Goddesses. Meanwhile, Ganondorf was still speaking. "I suppose you know by now that the end of the prophecy was never really determined, was it?"
"It said only that the stronger would prevail," Link answered. It might have been an agreement; it wasn't supposed to be. He kept his tone even.
"That's right!" Ganondorf stood to his full height, which was quite imposing, but still Link stood unfaltering, never showing the quiet fear that was slowly mounting within him. "So, with her Highness"—Link detested the sarcasm in his voice—"unable to help, it seems it is down to you and it is down to me!" He shook his head in rage. "These toys are too much for you!"
Link only drew his sword. The battle began.
How long it raged on, he could never tell. It might have been minutes, maybe hours, it didn't matter. Link's goal was as simple as Ganon's death. Let him feel the pain, Link thought as he struck and retreated. Let him know what it feels like to lose everything. Let him be afraid. Link jerked his head back out of those emotions. Hatred was where evil came from in the first place.
Ganon had been weakening slowly, and now it had reached the point where, despite his best efforts, there was little or no fight left in the man. His cape and clothes were holed and tattered, and his face was greyed with exhaustion and over-use of powerful magic. Link fired a well-placed Light Arrow, and the Evil King fell. The hero struck with the Master Sword until Ganon was hardly moving. Link looked down on the man, and took pity on his near-dead form for a second too long. Ganon lifted his head and threw his cape aside.
"The great King of Evil... beaten by this kid?!" He raged. Suddenly he coughed furiously and produced blood. When he stopped he was breathing heavily and could not find the strength to stand. Link was on guard anyway. "Link!" And with that, Ganon suddenly started to glow. The tower shook violently as the room came down around them, and when Link could see next, he was standing on top of Ganon's castle, watching as his enemy fell. He descended to his knees, and then tumbled face-first into the stone. His cape spilled around him with the implication of blood. Link turned away in a mixture of regret and disgust.
There came a whistling sound and the boy looked up. Descending from the sky was the large pink crystal with Zelda inside. The crystal landed smoothly, and then faded, leaving only the Princess. She looked over her shoulder at the fallen man.
"Ganondorf... pitiful man..." she said solemnly. "Without a righteous heart, he could not control the powers of the Triforce, and..." Suddenly, the whole tower began to quake. Zelda realized quickly what was happening.
"Link! With his dying breath, Ganondorf is using the Triforce of Power to make the tower collapse!"
Suddenly adrenaline was pumping through Link's body again. "Is there a way out?" he asked breathlessly.
"Yes," the princess said with the slightest bit of fear creeping into her voice. "But we cannot delay. Follow me!"
Zelda ran as fast as her skirts would allow to a ramp on the side of the tower that Link hadn't seen before. He raced after her, and they began to descend the high building. The path she was following appeared to be some kind of emergency escape route (which, Link thought, was exactly what it was being used for). It twisted in and out of the building, often barricaded by steel bars which Zelda had to lift with magic. They did make it out, but it was with seconds left. The two of them stopped to gather their breath as the tower collapsed behind them.
"It's over... it's finally over..." the princess breathed. Navi was busy apologizing to Link about not being able to fight Ganon with him, but the boy would have none of it. However, the moment of relief was soon broken by a loud and alarming noise coming from the ruin. Link cautiously moved forward to investigate, slowly, making sure not to disturb anything. All of the sudden, to the shock of Link and Zelda, no less than Ganon himself sprang up from the fallen castle. He hovered in the air a little bit above the ruin, his eyes still glowing in a rage. With a jerking motion, Ganon raised his right hand. The Triforce emblem still glowed. Suddenly Ganon screamed, and he was engulfed in a blinding bluish light, and when he was visible again, what Link and Zelda saw was unbelievable. Now, they saw not a man, but a horrendous, hideous monster. His head was topped with two fearsome horns, he was at least twice as tall, and in his hands, he carried two huge, vicious knives. In a blind surge of strength, the beast Ganon had become waved the knives about wildly, knocking the Master Sword out of Link's hands. It landed blade-down on the edge of the foundation, and before Link could reach it, Ganon set up a ring of fire that just blocked off the weapon. Almost wistfully, Link drew his Biggoron Sword, and another battle began.
This time around, Ganon was far more dangerous; though, if truth be told, so was Link. Though the Biggoron's Sword possessed no magic power, as the Master Sword did, its physical strength easily doubled that of the other. This made the fight considerably more dangerous, especially for Link, who was on the receiving end of Ganon's blows. But in the end, Link's will to win was far greater, and he managed to reclaim the Master Sword. With the help of Zelda's powers along with those of the six sages, Link, the Hero of Time, defeated Ganon, and all eight of them joined to seal him away in the Sacred Realm, for a time, at least.
A/N: yeah, yeah, yeah. Beta, anyone? Email me. And thank goodness for QuickEdit.