He'd been preparing for this for one whole year now. So much had happened since he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection. He had followed the King's advice and gone to Kakariko before journeying to Hateno. From there he collected his tunic and each memory that the Princess wanted him to remember. He had gone and freed each Divine Beast and had been granted incredible abilities from the legendary Champions. Now he stood outside the Sanctum, clutching the Master Sword in his right hand, his Hylian shield in his left. He wore his typical attire, the tunic that had been crafted so carefully, and some Hylian trousers. He took a deep breath before stepping inside. He looked around before looking up, seeing what looked like a beating heart. It stemmed from long roots which ran across the ceiling, he noted that the design was quite similar to the Shrine of Resurrection. Light began to emerge from the object as he stared up at it, he heard her muffled voice, trying to reach out and communicate. He was glad she was still out there, somewhere. "Link.." Soft at first. "Link.." Clearer now. "I'm sorry.. but my power isn't strong enough.. I can't hold him.." A laser shot out of the sack of malice, destroying the area around him. Multiple lasers then cut the inner shell of the membrane. Everything went still for a moment before it burst open, a large creature fell out of it, but Link didn't get a good look. It fell down onto the centre of the floor, it cracked and shattered before they both fell down into a large hole. Link quickly pulled out his paraglider, hearing the beast hit the floor with a loud thud. The room was filled with smoke, he could make out a body of malice and Guardian legs. He elegantly moved down towards the floor of the large room, it was heavily infected by Ganon's influence. He landed on his feet, watching the dust settle and more of the monster was revealed to him. It was turning around very slowly, menacingly, purposely. Link shuddered as its face came in to view, it was a sickening sight. Its empty eyes stared into his before it let out a screech which deafened him momentarily. It stared down at him for a moment before a bright, blue light filled the room from above. It came crashing down on the Calamity and after the light faded the beast collapsed. His eyes widened in surprise as he wondered if that was it, if that was all it had taken. But his question was soon answered as he saw its body shifting. It stared him down and he pulled his sword out, feeling it power up in his hand. He watched the twisted tyrant raise its blade, he quickly dodged it before unleashing a flurry of attacks, slicing the body of it and avoiding contact with its malice. He was caught off guard by a set of pincers and was knocked to the side. As he began to stand up he felt himself being lifted off the ground. His neck was on fire, the pain was indescribable. A hand of malice held him up, bringing Link close to the beast's face. He couldn't breathe. He quickly raised his blade, jamming it into the eye of the reincarnation. It quickly dropped him and he fell to the ground, he gasped for air as he scrambled to his feet, he slashed the monster a few times whilst it was stunned before it began to back away and climb onto the wall. Its spear came flying down at him, which he parried with ease, bringing the beast back down to the floor. A barrier formed around it, but he noticed that each time it attacked, the barrier failed momentarily. He was able to use his ability to slow down time to unleash multiple attacks. He dodged some attacks with Revali's gale, saved himself from powerful blows with Daruk's protection, unleashed strikes of lightning with Urbosa's fury and he healed his wounds with Mipha's grace. With one final blow he thrust his sword down in through the beast's skull, it let out a deafening screech. He took his blade out and stepped away, watching malice pour out of Ganon as he struggled to keep his footing. Link stared into his eyes before he exploded. Link covered his eyes as malice shot past him. It swirled around the edges of the room before flowing up through the tunnel. Link knew that was bad news, so he stepped forward, trying to find a way out before he was consumed by light. The next thing he knew, he was standing in Hyrule field, malice was gathering somewhere behind him. He slowly turned before hearing her voice again, he was glad she was there, there was something about her that made him want to continue on. "Ganon.. Ganon was born out of a dark past. He is a pure embodiment of the ancient evil that is reborn time and time again.." Link watched as a giant creature emerged from the malice, it resembled a hog in a way. "He has given up on reincarnation and assumed his pure, enraged form." It stood on its hind legs for a moment before landing on all fours. "If set free upon our world, the destruction will be unlike anything ever seen before. The malice and hatred incarnate stared at him from afar, Link kept his gaze fiercely locked with the beast before him. He looked up, seeing a bright light above him. "I entrust you with the Bow of Light- a powerful weapon in the face of evil. Link.. you may not yet be at a point where you have fully recovered your power or all of your memories.." He only hoped she could help him regain them. He hopped onto his horse. "But courage need not be remembered.. for it is never forgotten." Link nodded gently before racing forward to grab the bow, taking hold of it before watching Ganon charge an attack. He dodged with ease, too much ease. He frowned, it didn't even seem to be trying. "That energy covering Ganon's body is called Malice. None of your attacks will get through as he now is.. I will hold the Malice back as much as I can, but my power is waning. Attack any glowing points you see!" Link paid close attention to the beast, searching for these points she mentioned. It wasn't even making an effort to trample him. "May you be victorious." He kept riding before seeing three points lighting up on the side of the demon's body. He rode over to get a good angle, and Zelda spurred him on. He shot each glowing point before three more points appeared on the other side. One more underneath the beast. The sky began to darken, Link wondered if it was becoming stronger. "We're so close!" He kept riding, avoiding the laser. "Link! Look up there!" A bright light began to shine from its forehead. "That's the very core of Ganon's being! Do what you must, Link!" The slit in its forehead revealed an eye of malice. He quickly hopped off his horse, and time slowed down. "Now, Link!" He calmly pulled the arrow back, taking a deep breath before letting the arrow fly. It crashed into the centre of the eye, piercing it. He landed softly on the ground and looked up to watch whatever was to come.
An eternity of hell, trapped with a maniac for a century. For 100 continuous years, all she knew was pain and suffering. She had no connections to tie her to sanity, no-one close enough to ground her. But then, on her 117th birthday, she felt him. When he woke up, so did she. She was more conscious, more aware. She had zoned out during Ganon's constant attempts to plague her mind, to overwhelm her. But her power kept her safe. And now, here he was, bravely facing this beast, alone. He was so confident with himself, something she didn't see in the old Link. She wondered how much he had changed.. but now was not the time to worry, now was the time to get the revenge she deserved for such a torturous experience. She burst out of Ganon, where she resided, holding back his ability to remain sentient. That was why the fight was so easy, he wasn't actually in control, she kept him at bay. She felt her body now, she hadn't felt it in so long. She had merely been a thought, drifting through a barren wasteland like some tumbleweed. Her entire being buzzed with energy as she floated safely down to the ground. The beast collapsed in front of her. Her body burst with light, sending a shockwave through Ganon, tearing his malice apart, forcing him to assume his spectral form. She watched it rise up and swirl around in the sky before shooting down towards her. She raised her hand slowly before light burst out of it, creating a large ball of light. She could feel malice being sucked into the large orb, could feel him disappearing at her touch. When all of him was consumed, she closed the seal and lowered her hand, feeling her powers leave her for the time being. She was so exhausted, so shaken, but she was free, and so was he. Her back was turned to him, she could hear his footsteps. How much she missed that sound.. "I've been keeping watch over you all this time.. I've witnessed your struggles to return to us, as well as your trials in battle." Not once did he ever show signs of turning away, he was committed from the very start, for which she was grateful. "I always thought- no, I always believed- that you would find a way to defeat Ganon." She began to turn around, prepared to finally see him again with her own eyes. "I never lost faith in you over these many years.." She watched his eyes take in her body, she couldn't help but smile at that, he was still so perfect. "Thank you, Link. The Hero of Hyrule.." She was scared of the question that followed. "May I ask.. do you really remember me?" She waited patiently for his answer, which she soon received. "I do." He replied softly. His voice, she had forgotten how smooth his tone was, how much it calmed her. She was elated that he remembered her. She stepped forward, stretching her arms out to hug him, but he stepped back, stepped away from her. She stopped suddenly, gasping with the realisation of what this was. "Link, what do you remember of me?" She asked quietly, fighting tears. "I remember the memories you left for me, Princess." 'Princess..?' Her heart shattered into a million pieces. He didn't remember her, didn't remember /them/. She looked off to the side for a moment, processing this. She had always hoped that his memories would somehow return to him. "What do you think of me, Link?" She looked back up and into his eyes. His face remained unreadable, but for a second.. just for a second, she saw that fire in his eyes, that desire she had seen so many times before, and hope sparked within her. "I'm not sure how to answer that, Princess." She winced softly at that, she couldn't believe that after all they went through together, now all he saw himself as in relation to her was her appointed knight. With a shaky sigh she looked away again, taking in the ruined landscape of what was once a thriving kingdom. "Princess, I wish to know about myself.." She glanced at him, of course he wished to know. It pained her to know that he may never remember his family, may never remember his own mother. "Not now, Link." She began walking past him. "We will head to Kakariko for a few nights, before anything else, I need some rest.." She glanced at his horse, it would be faster if they rode together rather than walking or trying to tame another horse, but how was she supposed to sit by him, to be so close to him, when he was no longer hers? "Okay, Princess." She inhaled sharply, clenching her fists tightly in anger and sorrow. "It's Zelda.." She said quietly. "What was that, Princess?" She closed her eyes and looked down. "It doesn't matter.. let's just go." Reluctantly, she climbed onto his horse, and he climbed on behind her. She so desperately wanted to lean back, to feel him hold her with one arm, holding the reigns with his other like he had a century ago. But that was now in the past, she had to accept that. She couldn't force anything.
She had fallen asleep at some point during the journey. She woke up in an inn. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes softly before placing her hand on the bed, the side Link always slept. But he wasn't there. She saw him in the next bed over, sitting up and looking at the Sheikah Slate. She could hear sounds coming from it, but she couldn't distinguish anything specific. "What's that you're looking at?" She inquired softly, he looked up and blushed with embarrassment before she noticed him place it down on his face. She nodded softly, turning her head away and absently placing her hand in her hair. She heard a soft sigh of what sounded like relief escape him. She smirked softly to herself before leaping out of the bed and grabbing the tablet. She looked down at the screen, he was replaying a memory, they must've gotten onto the Sheikah Slate after he remembered. She felt tears sting her eyes, he was searching for answers, searching for a past sealed away. She gazed at him, he looked down, seemingly ashamed. She sighed shakily before making her way over to him, placing the Sheikah Slate down next to him. She sat on the edge of her bed after that, facing him. He stole glances at her, he seemed troubled, as though he had something to say. "Princess.." She tried to hide the pain from her features. "What happened between us all those years ago?" Her eyes widened a little, he was willing to learn about their past. But she couldn't overwhelm him so soon. "How do you mean?" She wanted to see what he knew, what he assumed, before she went confirming anything. "You seemed so angry with me at first, but then things changed.. what was it that changed." She smiled fondly, recalling the answer. "You saved me, Link. After that I put my judgemental thinking aside, and saw you for who you really were." He nodded softly, she sighed gently before a thought popped into her head. "Cook me something." She said abruptly, he frowned and looked at her. "What?" She repeated her command. "Cook me something, I know how much you love to cook." He smiled weakly as he began to get out of the bed. "But, not too much. I need to adjust to eating.." He nodded thoughtfully before walking out of the inn. As she watched the back of him leave she whispered words she longed to tell him once more. "I love you, Link.."