Chapter Sixteen: The Final Showdown

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Link: OracleVortex doesn't own anything to so with Zelda… etc…

Sheik: Yup…and today's chapter is brought to you by…

OV: SEQUELS!! You love Star Wars, you love Lord of the Rings, and you love Harry Potter, so why not love The Legends of Zelda? It's a game, it's a cartoon, and it's even a book! (It IS!) Now you can read the sequel to Reset into the Game! It's chock-full of Link, Rae and even Sheik-ness, so be sure to read it!! COMING SOON TO A FANFICTION SITE NEAR YOU!!!

Sheik: As soon as you figure out what you are going to do for it….

OV: *Sends him a dirty look* {Mutters} Know-it-all Sheikah… ;) Lol.

And today's chapter is dedicated to canihavea-soda, who is also an authoress on FF.net. Be sure to go and read her fics! She has an obsession with Ganon right now, so I dedicate this chap to her…even if it is Ganon's undoing. *shrugs* Trust me and go look at her work; it'll be worth your time!

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The door slammed shut, shimmering black before vanishing altogether. The three heroes spun, surprised by the sudden dark laughter in the room. Ganon was half-standing, half-leaning against the pipe organ, glaring their way.

"Fools. Did you seriously think that I would be defeated so easily?" With a sonic boom, the room exploded outwards, the ceiling and walls flying to pieces and off the edge of the tower. They were now standing on a large platform of sorts, in the open air of the sky. The wind whistled around them, and the long drop off down any side was dizzying. "Now give me the Triforce!"

"Never, Ganon!" Rae said, possessively stepping back.

"Then we will fight!" With a nasty snarl, Ganon was in the air, floating a good two feet off of the ground. "Hwa!" A sinister glow was appearing in his hand, crackling and giving off sparks. He threw it at the four teens; all moved out of the way, barely avoiding the blast of power.

"Link!" Sheik yelled. "Give me your bow!" With an overhead cast, Link sent the bow flying in the Sheikah's direction. Sheik caught it, pulling a capped tube from behind his back. Tying it to his belt and taking off the cover, he skipped aside as Ganon threw flare his way. On the opposite side, Link had laid Zelda on the ground, putting the protective power of Nayru's Love into place around her. Going to stand beside Rae, he brought the Master Sword up in a protecting motion.

Ganon cast another ball of sparking light. To Link's left, Rae tumbled to one side, the air sizzling as the threat sang by. Link swung the Master Sword, deflecting the bolt back to Ganon. Ganon, surprised by this action, instinctually waved a hand to send it flying once more at Link. The Hylian, prepared for this action, repeated the swing, sending the offending projectile back towards its caster. Ganon sent it back.

Link heard a feminine groan, and vaguely assumed that Zelda had finally woken up. Rae was watching him, he knew, and he could see Sheik, on the opposite side of the field, had carefully drawn his bow, placing a gold-gilded arrow on the string.

Link blinked, tossing the bangs out of his eyes. It was taking a lot of energy to keep up the ever-growing pace of knocking the light back and forth. With every hit, every return, it seemed to gain power, gain strength. Sweat dripped into Link's gaze, and he blinked rapidly. A resonating ringing entered Link's hearing, turning into a shaft of narrow gold that struck Ganon's shoulder. Distracted, Link failed to time his next strike correctly, and missed the shot. The last thing he remembered was everything exploding.

~

Sheik heard Rae and Zelda screaming, going to the fallen man on the field. Sheik, for his part, suppressed a wave of sudden and abrupt remorse. The Hero of Time was dead. What hope did Hyrule have now that Link had passed into lands of the Eye? He cast aside Link's bow, and the empty tube that he had the Light arrow in. There was only been one, and it was supposed to weaken Ganon to the point of death.

The dark king was still alive and kicking. Ganon smiled a slow and bleeding grin, ecstatic to be facing a survivor of the Sheikah. The one survivor that had avoided capture all those years. "I said that I would kill you slowly, Sheikah." He rumbled, eyes glinting evilly. "And so I shall. I have killed your only hope for saving your precious lands, and soon I will kill these girls. First I will maim your sister, poisoning her, and then I will kill your love slowly. Then, and only then, will I take care of you…"

Sheik glowered at the man, brows in a tight knit, one palm pressed against the cut on his chest. Crimson eyes lit with an inner fire that was overwhelming and terrible all at once, and spoke of a contained rage of many years. "You killed my people…my friends…all that I knew." His left hand clenched and unclenched with leaking anger. "For that you deserve worse than death. And I will not let you take from me the last of those that I care for!"

Ganon gave a mysterious sneer, flickering fingers at Rae and Zelda. Zelda, encompassed in a green cloud of smoke, crumpled to the ground, while Rae vanished and reappeared next to Sheik, enclosed in a dark jewel that was not unlike the one that Zelda had previously been in. Sheik pressed his hands to the jewel, ignoring the stinging that wanted to throw his hands back. It was not as strong as it had been with Zelda; Ganon was much weaker.

The sudden sound of escaping air reached Sheik's ears. From inside the jewel Rae gaped, hand going to her throat. By the Eye… Sheik realized. He's suffocating her! He hit the solid wall between them, tears slightly clouding his eyes. Link dead…Zelda dead…and now Rae? No! Following the girl as she sank to her knees, Rae revealed something to Sheik, her back away from Ganon. It was the Triforce. She still had it. 'Use it.' Sheik mouthed.

She shook her head. 'Already tried.' she mouthed back slowly. 'Not for me.' Holding the Triforce in one hand, she pressed it to where Sheik's palm was against the jewel. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and two words were mouthed. 'Take it.' She fell inside the jewel, her chest not rising again. The sound of air stopped and Rae's cage shattered. Her body sprawled in front of Sheik, and the young man was shaking as he slowly stood up.

"No." Sheik said, the single word a hiss of denial. Ganon smirked at him.

The brilliant blaze of light on the top of the tower shone in intensity, as Sheik had never seen in his life. The light grew and spread, filling him and growing, and pushing all emotion, all sadness, and grief and horror away. Standing on steady feet, he felt he cut across his chest heal and close. When the light cleared, he saw the scene with a whole new clarity, taking in the blood stained stones of the floor beneath him, he looked to the three dead youths lying across them. Then he looked at the King of Evil. Ganon stared at him in horror.

"Y-Your hand…"

Sheik glanced down. With a strange impassiveness he saw that the symbol of the Triforce was visible on the back of his hand. All three pieces were glowing. He held the entirety of the Triforce within him and now he had one wish. One wish to spend.

Ganon looked at him, aghast. "You wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't I?" Sheik took a step forward, causing Ganon to flinch at the glow of his aura. "How many lives are imprinted on your soul? How many deaths are yours to blame? You are coated in the blood of hundreds and you make me sick." Sheik gazed at him coolly. "I should wish for your destruction."

"No…please…"

"How many said that when you killed them, Ganon? How many pleaded for their lives, fought for their lives, their right to live?" Sheik tilted his head, wearing a enigmatic smile. "Why should I treat you any different?" Ganon mumbled something. "What was that?"

"You're not me."

Sheik stared at him for a long moment, and then shook his head. "No, Ganon, I'm not. And that is why I won't wish the Triforce on you." He turned to the bodies of his three friends. "Instead, I wish for their lives back, so they may have a second chance that you never will."

There was a long pause of silence, where Ganon wheezed a laugh. "Looks like you can't choose them all, Sheikah. Who will you pick?"

Sheik frowned, his first flicker of emotion since he obtained the Triforce. Choose? How in the Eye's name could he choose? Zelda was his sister, his twin, his other half since he was born. She knew him inside and out, shared his secrets, and helped to strengthen him after the Final Battle. Rae, on the other hand, was the only woman that held the keys to his heart. She was beautiful and talented and filled with a wild spirit that attracted him to her so much. But then there was Link, the Hero of Time, a Child of Destiny and the only one that could correctly wield the Master Sword.

Sheik sighed, a single tear falling. Why was it his fate to see those he loved die? The aura around Sheik brightened and grew, stretching out and lighting Link's body. The Hero of Time took a breath, opening his eyes and gasping for air. Sheik sank to his knees beside Rae, expression dull and tired.

"Link!" He said, pointing to the Master Sword, "Hurry! Finish it!"

Link staggered to his feet, dizzy. "But I was—" He saw Zelda, and then he saw Rae. "And they're…"

"I know." Sheik said.

Link gripped the Master Sword grimly, focusing on Ganon. He ignored the fact that he had just been dead, and that Zelda and Rae were dead as well. He had a job to do.

Ganon was no longer floating in the air, a smirk on his face. There was fear in his eyes as he materialized a black sword, taking a weak guard position. Link almost smiled. This was what he was trained to do. He could use a sword to the best of his ability and not worry about anyone; there was no one left to worry about. It was just he, Ganon and the sword. This is what he was born to do; fight and win. He would win.

Taking the offensive, Link strode forward, feeling better than he had for weeks. A new strength filled his veins, fuelling him, driving him and giving him new courage. Ganon managed to block his first strike, an overhead slice that made him stagger. Link's second slash cut a deep line down Ganon's forearm, forcing the Gerudo to switch hands. The third cut his cape from his left shoulder. The forth severed it completely. Tripping backwards over the fallen fabric, Ganon's sword skidded away, falling off the off of the tower. Link pressed the tip of the Master Sword to Ganon's neck

Navi appeared behind Link, the six figures of the sages materializing slowly behind her. Link, sensing his faerie friend, and knowing why she had come out of hiding, growled, "Seal him. Before my blade 'slips.'"

"We cannot." Rauru said.

"Why not?" Link demanded, eyes not leaving the cowering thief.

Saria's soft voice answered. "We need the power of the seventh sage to seal him away."

"Who's the seventh?"

"Zelda."

Link's gaze darted over to the prone body a few paces away. "She's dead." He said flatly, hiding his inner despair.

The sages began to murmur amongst themselves. Ganon grinned up at Link. "Looks like you'll have to kill me…"

Link stared at him in revulsion. "You don't deserve death."

"Hey." Navi said, bumping against Link's neck. "It was fun being your faerie, Link."

Link faced the faerie. "'Was' fun?" The small blue light floated away, and Link suddenly understood. "Navi – no!"

The sages watched as well, as Navi drifted above Zelda's body. She waited for a moment, and then swirled around the princess, vanishing once more into nothingness. This time, she wouldn't return.

Link blinked, sadness gripping his heart, but it dampened as Zelda breathed again, cloaked in blue sparkles. "What…happened…?"

Rauru spoke gently to Zelda. "Welcome back to the realms of the living, princess. We must seal Ganon away."

Zelda nodded, shaking off all signs of disorientation. Standing, she pointed to Ganon, murmuring in an unfamiliar tongue. One by one the other sages joined her, taking up the verses in an almost fevered avow. The last verse that they chorused was in plain language. "Ancient creators of Hyrule, now open the sealed Door and send the evil Carnation back into the darkness!" The multi-colored powers of the sages gathered around Ganon, causing the dark king to writhe in agony. He twisted in a pain that seemed to be tearing him apart from the inside, something that was not wholly real, and yet completely devastating.

The dark king's figure started to fade, a look of terror and hurting and unspeakable fury clear on his features. "You! Curse you Sages! Curse you Link! Curse you Zelda and Sheik! someday, when this seal is broken, that is when I exterminate your descendants! I will return…!" The Gerudo blipped out of sight, his final promise still echoing in the air.

Link let out a breath that he wasn't even aware that he was holding. The tension in the air seemed to pop, leaving the hero feeling light-headed. It was over. It was truly over. They had completed what he had set out to do; save the sages and seal Ganon away in the space between realms. It was quite strange, to feel…released and relieved.

"Oh Goddesses…By the Eye…"

Link turned at the devastated voice, eyes widening as he saw Sheik on the ground, sobbing soundlessly, and cradling the remaining prone body.

"Farore's Wind." Link said softly. "Rae…"

~

"Wake up, offworlder…before you pass through my lands, I wish to speak with you…"

Rae opened her eyes, startled to find that she was sitting on the edge of a large fountain of sorts. The water glowed with a pearly-white silkiness that was altogether unreal. The area around the fountain stretched out for a few feet, vanishing into the leafy foliage of weeping willows. The sky above was not really a sky, for it was a blue color so rich and so vibrant that the pristine blue seemed to have no end. The air was pleasant, and the lighting was misty. Somewhere the sound of harps and flutes played, peaceful and content.

"You are Rae, woman of Earth, holder of the hidden piece of the Triforce." A tall woman, dressed in flowing violet, addressed Rae, her comment more informative than it was accusing. "I am Oculis."

Rae's response was a raised eyebrow. "Oculis?"

The woman didn't seem to be offended by her lack of respect. "Yes…the living call me The Eye. I took a name for my own, here among the passed souls; 'The Eye' is a little discomfited, don't you agree?"

Rae stared, scrambling to her feet. "I'm sorry." She stammered, bowing to the goddess. "I didn't realize…"

Oculis waved a slim hand. "It is all right. You will not be here long…" She indicated for Rae to sit once more. Rae did, and Oculis examined the girl's face critically. "I admit that I am impressed with the way that you were able to overcome the power of the shadows. For many years it has been growing stronger and more powerful in the influence of Hyrule's darkened state. I am glad that you now bear the second sight that I blessed my children with."

"Your children?" Rae asked. "You don't mean the Sheikah, do you?"

Oculis nodded. "Yes. The Goddess of Time has chosen those worthy of my gift, for me. I am happy to see you are one of the few."

Rae hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry about the war…so many died…"

Oculis' expression was sorrowful. "Yes…but they have come to me upon their deaths…it is not I who miss them so." Rae nodded, unsure of where the conversation was going. "My point, Rae? You have passed to the ranks of the deceased, and you still are very impatient. Do not look at me like you're surprised. I see the truth, Rae. Your troubles are as clear as day to me."

"Then what is it you want from me?"

Oculis nodded thoughtfully. "The Goddess of Time warns me that your fate is not death. She still has work for you to do. I am to return you to the ranks of the living. I am not ready to receive you into my lands quite yet."

Rae bowed. "Thank you, Oculis."

"It is nothing. I have one favor to ask of you."

"Yes?"

"Give Sheik hope. Many people here are proud of him. Do not let him drift into shadows like he almost did before. You may not be there to pull him out the next time."

~

The first breath of air was sweet and new. Rae sat up, eyes wild. She glanced around. The shattered remains of the castle were many meters away and the tower wasn't even in sight. What happened to the fountain? "Where…"

"Tower collapsed…had to run for it…" Sheik hugged her, arms tight, and shaking. "By the Eye, Rae…you were dead…"

By the…Eye… "I…I know…"

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Well…there was a lot of dying and living in this chap. And I killed off Navi!! *Grins* But I did it in a way that didn't insult her. I owe her that much. Oh, and sorry for the somewhat choppy changing of POVs, in this chap. Usually I don't have all the characters in the scene doing so many different things at the same time.

Yeah…and for the goddess, Oculis, her name derives from the latin spelling Oculus, meaning 'eye'. I changed the 'u' to an 'i' because I thought that it looked a little more feminine on the page. And for Harry Potter fans out there, Oculus was half of the spell that fixed Harry's glasses all the time. Cool, eh? … Yeah, well, I'm sorry if she was a bit weird.

Anyway, there's one last chapter after this, a sort of explanation and good-bye thing. It'll probably be posted at the same time this is.

See ya around,

OracleVortex

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