A/N- This is my last chapter. I hope you enjoy it!


CHAPTER 15- THE FINAL STRUGGLE


When Link and Zelda finally reached the castle, they stood and watched it for a moment. "So," Zelda started, "this is what it finally comes down to."

"I'm afraid so." Link said quietly. "Ganondorf now has Impa, Jin and Nabooru to use against us though." They stood in silence for a moment then Link walked forward. "Zelda, this'll be dangerous." he warned.

"I know and I'm perfectly capable of defending myself." Zelda retorted.

"I just want you to be careful. You're my friend and I don't want to lose you." Link said gently.

"I will be. Though I should be telling you the same thing. Malon will be waiting for you. You can't leave her." Zelda smiled. Link just nodded and continued to walk towards the Great Hall.

The hero sighed. "He'll be waiting for us you know."

"I figured as much. After all, we did escape and he has three of our friends held captive." Zelda replied. After they reached the Grand Staircase, they began to tread carefully. Looking everywhere, they made their way to the throne room, the most likely place Ganondorf would be. Link motioned for Zelda to stop and she did so. He silently opened the door to the throne room and peered inside. Almost imediately arrows flew straight at him. Ducking, he slammed the door shut.

"I think we have a problem." he said just before several Stalfos thundered around the corner. Drawing the Master Sword, he pushed Zelda behind him. "I'll handle this. You stay on the lookout for any sign of the others." With that, he charged his attackers and imediately severed one in half. As it disappeared in a cloud of smoke, the rest charged forward.

While Link was fighting the Stalfos, Zelda snuck away to begin her search for the others. She ran down the hall as silently as possible toward the dungeons. She was out of breath when she finally reached them. Quickly, she searched the cells. There, in the last one was Jin, lying on the floor. She used her magic to pick the lock and ran to his side. "Jin, are you alright?" She asked urgently.

He slowly opened his eyes. "I think, ow!" he winced as he tried to sit up. Zelda placed her hands over his body and used her healing magic. "That's better."

"Where are the others?" Zelda stared at him, trying to get him to answer her faster.

"Uh, I believe Impa is being held in your bedroom and Nabooru is in the throne room with Ganondorf. Well, that's how it was before I was thrown down here." Jin said.

"Then let's go to my room and find out." They raced upstairs and stopped just before they ran into a Moblin.

"Uh-oh." Jin muttered. "What now?" he looked at Zelda.

"Just a second." the princess closed her eyes and concentrated on forming an energy beam to fire at the creature. When she opened her eyes again, the beam sailed toward the Moblin and destroyed him. "Much more of that and I'll be out cold." she shook her head.

Jin was just staring at her with his mouth wide open. "How did you do that?"

"Maybe I can show you when this is all over. But right now we have to get Impa." she opened the door to her bedroom and walked in. Sure enough, sitting on her bed, was Impa.

The Sheikah looked up as Zelda walked in. Impa stood imediately and went to the princess's side and gave her a hug. "Oh, I was so worried!"

"There was no need. Link was with me." Zelda said.

"Speaking of Link," Impa started, "where is he?"

"He's at the door to the throne room fighting Stalfos. He told me to try and find you though I don't think he meant for me to run off." Zelda answered her.

The Sheikah led them out the door and down the stairs. "I'm sure he took care of Malon?"

"Yes, she's in the Water Temple." Zelda said. After they turned another corner, they could see Link fighting off hordes of Stalfos. "Whoa! Their numbers have multiplied dramatically since I left him!" The Hero of Time looked at Zelda and nodded. "No, Link don't do it!" she screamed. Link had just enough time to sheath his sword before he collapsed. "No!" the princess cried desperately. Her knees buckled and Impa caught her. She saw through her tears as Link was carried through the throne room doors.

Impa laid the fallen princess to the ground and hugged her. "He's gonna be alright." she soothed.

"He was just too tired. There were way too many of them!" she sobbed.

Jin was leaning against the wall. "No, I think he did that for a reason. If what I've heard of the Hero of Time, he could fight for two days and still be ready for more. No, he did it on purpose."

"How would you know?" Zelda questioned him sharply.

"I just don't think he would give up like that." Jin shook his head. "If what I think is true, he did it to get inside the throne room. Once he saw that you knew what was going on, he let them take him."

"You might be right. I'm sorry. If I didn't overreact, I would have noticed myself." Zelda wiped her tears away and stood up. "We have to help him out."

*

The Stalfos dragged him all the way to the thrones where Ganondorf was waiting, as he suspected. "So, the great Hero of Time has fallen at last." he cackled. Standing to the left of him with her hands chained was Nabooru. She struggled uselssly to free herself.

"Link!" she cried. Ganondorf leaned over and smacked her across the face.

"Did I say you could speak? Now then, where was I?" Ganondorf scratched his chin in mock thought. "Oh, yes. The matter of what to do with you."

"Let Nabooru go, Ganondorf. She doesn't concern you." Link snapped.

"Why should I? The leader of my own tribe is priceless."

"You pathetic jerk." Nabooru spat.

"See what I mean? It's not every day that you get to be put down by a tribe leader." Ganondorf laughed at the disgusted look on Nabooru's face.

"Leave her alone or suffer the consequences." Link warned.

Ganondorf laughed even harder. "I hardly think that you are in any place to start threatening me."

"That's what you think!" Link pushed the Stalfos away and grabbed his sword then severed its head.

"You idiots, you forgot to take his sword!" Ganondorf shouted. "Get him!"

At least a hundred Stalfos and Moblins answered his call. They all charged at Link with their weapons raised. Link just smiled. They would never win this way. He fought off enemy after enemy while allowing himself to be pushed back towards the door. Zelda, Impa and Jin would surely be waiting there. Finally, he back hit th wall and he jerked the door open. Just as he suspected, the three of them came crashing through and killing dozens of the creatures in the process. "Nice of you to drop by."

"Yeah, for awhile there we thought you were seriously down." Zelda answered fending off another Moblin.

"Correction. You thought he was down." Jin stated.

Link just laughed and pushed his way toward the thrones. Ganondorf had moved to the right of the hall and gave him a clear pathway to free Nabooru. When he reached her, he sliced through her chains and she quickly picked up her twin scimitars. "Thanks partner."

"No problem. No let's say we finish this once and for all!" The two of them charged past Zelda, Jin and Impa who were fighting off the last few creatures toward Ganondorf who was looking on in contempt. "You look upset."

"You think you've won this?" the King of Evil growled.

"No, I know we've won this." Link slashed at Ganondorf but the Gerudo dodged it. "You've gotten slow, I'm afraid. Slowness will be your downfall, especially against me." Link's sword was a blur as he swung it again and again, Nabooru at his side. Ganondorf's face twisted in pain as the Master Sword sliced through his arm. "Now die!" Link shouted as he plunged the sword into the King of Evil's chest. The dying Gerudo screamed and with a last look full of hatred, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, never to return to Hyrule again.

*

Three days after the battle in the throne room, Link and Malon were married. The next year at about the same time, they had a lovely daughter whom they named Mara. Zelda then married Jin who then took over the crown when the King of Hyrule finally died from his mysterious illness. He at least got to see Hyrule saved and hand his daughter off in marriage. And thus, Hyrule continued into a thousand years of prosperity.


A/N- So how'd you like it? I know there wasn't many romantic spots between Link and Malon but I didn't think that there was much time for it. Well, that's it for Link's Trial. I want to give a special thanks to The Rain Child and GoddessLD for all their support. Also to my friends Jessica and Jacque who encouraged me to keep writing and update for you guys. Goodbye!