AN: Just to forewarn, Ganondorf does some talking to himself and thought I have him kind of with two separate identities in this, he refers to himself still as "I" or "me". To make it a little easier, for any part that the 'bad' part is talking, he'll refer to himself beginning with a capital, like a religious figure.
Chapter Eighteen: Where is Victory?
The temple was going to fall down around them. Zelda and the other sages strained their powers to the limit, but with the diminished strength caused by Rauru's passing, it was not enough. The Hero of Time fought alongside the King of Hyrule, but neither was able to strike the Evil King a fatal blow. Link felt his frustration rising along with his fear. What would happen if he were unable to strike a blow with the Master Sword and his own blood? Would Hyrule be plunged into a second age of darkness?
A pain ripped through Link as a stray energy bolt grazed his right arm, making him bleed. He had to ignore it though; there was no time to worry. The battle was growing worse and the sages ever weaker. Ganondorf lashed out with strength of the Triforce of Power behind him, bending the very foundation of the Temple of Time to his will.
The Triforce mark of Courage also burned on the back of Link's hand. He had to find some way to use it, like Ganondorf used his. Surely it had to carry other powers, save for giving him the strength to face such evil?
"You should end this, Boy," said Ganondorf deeply. "It will only end badly for you. I control powers now the likes of Hyrule have never seen."
"I thank you for your concern," Link panted breathlessly before lunging forth again with another fearless strike of his sword. King Harkinian was right behind him, pressing with Link almost the same instant that the Master Sword and Ganondorf's blade crashed.
The struggle to break free of his prison had been exceedingly difficult, and Ganondorf could feel weakness creeping over him. He was not yet strong enough to battle all six sages and the Hero of Time. For an instant Ganondorf staggered backward against both the weight of King Harkinian and Link. Link felt his submission and pressed again, knowing that this might be the only time he would have a chance to finish the course he had chosen for himself. He and Ganondorf's eyes locked, piercing blue against unfathomable red, as in an instant Link ran his palm along the Master Sword's blade and wounded himself. The gash throbbed and shot up and through his arm and despite his efforts not to, he could not help but let out a shout of pain.
The blood from his hand spilled out over the tarnished, already blood stained metal, and the whole temple seemed to spin round and round at that moment. Erich looked at him wildly, unsure what to make of this act. Had the boy gone crazy? The stones screamed, the thunder and lightning boomed outside monstrously, and the sickening slice sound that was heard as the Master Sword ran through Ganondorf's chest all swirled in Link's ears.
The look in Ganondorf's eyes flickered as they fell down to behold the blade penetrating out. Link did not breath, nor did anyone else in the room. Light failed…the temple went dim, flickered…the air shivered…Ganondorf fell to his knees, still with the mighty blade protruding from his breast. Link's heart swelled with hope, the hope that this changed course from the future's herald did the job Loraefin's life was intended to do.
That hope was murdered though. With a fearsome yell, the Evil King lashed out with a wave of darkness that threw both the Hero of Time and the King or Hyrule away and tore Link from his weapon. A great gash now marred Link's cheek from cutting it open on a jagged stone and would certainly leave a fearsome scar. Where Erich fell he did not move, and Ganondorf was upon Link in an instant, holding him by the neck above the ground, leaving the hero's legs to dangle. Without breaking eye contact with the young man, Ganondorf reached up and ripped out the Master Sword with a seething gasp of pain and threw it away across the floor with a clattering crash. The blood from the Master Sword's wound was little more than a trickle, the actual point of penetration seared back together again as whole flesh. Link could not believe his eyes.
"What was that, Boy?" Ganondorf sneered, tightening his grip about Link's neck. Link could not breathe under the constricting grasp, couldn't even feel the blood streaming down his cheek, and desperately fought to free himself. Ganondorf's mouth twisted into a terrible, mocking grin as he watched the strength begin to slowly drain out of the hero.
Zelda had flown to her father's side without thought to any danger. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she cradled her father's head in her lap, he lying where he fell from Ganondorf's blow. The blood was seeping down to the stone floor and soaking into her garments as well as his.
"Zelda! We need you!" Saria shouted from amidst the wild torrent of dark forces whipping around the room. Thunder and lightning ripped through the heavens outside as again Ganondorf, by will of his mind, began to uproot the great stone floor of the Temple of Time. Before Zelda could move, she had been torn from her father's body by one of these shifting slabs and with a cry found her own self being lifted as well.
Zelda could not understand how they could fail, and yet glancing over the battleground that once was a temple, she found little hope in triumph. Ganondorf's dark art had grown too strong…and it was all her fault for not being able to lead them to victory. It was she that had not grown stronger…
Darunia and Nabooru had abandoned their combat with powers and were now taking Ganondorf on hand to hand. At their charge the Dark Lord had dropped the Hero of Time, gasping and close to unconsciousness, in readiness to battle them. The Megaton Hammer was thwarted by one fell block of Ganondorf's bracers and that blow sent the Sage of Fire wheeling backward. Zelda watched as Nabooru's eyes flared and she leapt at him. As Nabooru attacked, it took no more than a tiny gesture from Ganondorf's hand to send her flying backward again.
"Sages! We must form together!" Impa shouted, standing tall and brave, as ever Zelda had seen her… A heroic figure of courage and strength such as she had few rivals. Her silver Sheikahan hair bound back and her features fixed determinedly and unrelentingly on stopping this madness. Zelda would never forget how time stood still as that bolt of dark magic flew toward Impa. Zelda screamed and watched her mother tumble backwards, that body of sheer invincibility broken. The Shadow Sage lay struggling on the ground, clutching her hand to her face and over her eyes.
Where was their victory?
Link watched as both Nabooru and Darunia flew at Ganondorf, and yet he could not will his legs to stand. Ruto knelt over Impa, struggling on the ravaged floor of the temple, Zelda did not seem to realize where she was anymore, and Saria's form was so little and fragile in all of this corruption that it seemed a figment of Link's imagination she was even there. And all of his planning, all of his secrets and burdens…it was all for nothing, he had doomed his country, his world, those he loved…He thought he could play with fate, and he lost…what a fool he had been.
Ganondorf now stopped and looked about the destroyed scene. Need less to say it pleased His black heart greatly to see such pain and destruction. The temple was in ruins, the floor split and uprooted, and the great walls now ran vast divides up and down. Rubble was everywhere and even the Alter of Time carried scars from the battle. No sage moved against him now, indeed they could not for he had dealt them to harsh a punishment for any of them to retaliate now.
With sudden realization Ganondorf now knew one thing…he was free to return home, home to the desert. The idea delighted him for he had longed for it, craved for it, since he set foot on this dark path of no return. It had always been the Dark Powers that controlled him, but he was still a king for his people…he must remember that this all started, all of it, out of his love for them and his wish for them to prosper.
The temple settled and light dimmed again. Ganondorf walked over the rubble, which crunched under his heavy boots, toward the doors of the Temple of Time. Was no one really going to try and stop him? He wondered.
They are all weak fools, look at them, so little a resistance they put up to Me…
I did what I needed to now. Now it is time to return home.
Why return home when the entire world is at My command now? Fool! The Triforce pieces of Courage and Wisdom are for My taking!
Ganondorf spun around.
"I had nearly forgotten. Shame on me," he barely whispered and halted in his tracks. The Pieces of the Triforce…how could that objective have left his mind even for a second?
Link was standing now, bodily whole (mostly) if not whole in spirit, with a dangerous looking wound across his cheek and had the Master Sword again in his hands. Blood flowed from numerous wounds and sweat and dust covered his haggard face. The Hero's crystal blue eyes blazed through the grim of battle though, and met Ganondorf's again across the distance.
It was then that a small figure appeared out of the shadows and for the first time into the light of the temple. Its lifeless eyes stared straight ahead, seeming to see neither Ganondorf nor the sages. Ganondorf looked at the creature for a moment in curiosity for indeed such a thing as this was unexpected. It was clothed in un-dyed fabrics, sleeping attire or not, Ganondorf could not tell. The hair was wild, browns and blonds that had the look of days of neglect and teasing in the wind, and sat about its shoulders giving it a look like an ethereal banshee. But it was the eyes that drew you; pale gray-blue eyes, clouded over and vacant, that stared right thought you.
Link's breath caught in his throat when he saw her and his knees went weak again. It was not possible…it could not be possible! He had told no one, no one! And yet there she was, standing there in her sleeping garments with no explanation. And those eyes, her eyes frightened him…Oh by the Goddesses Fin, what are you doing?!
AN: yeah, this is an evil ending, I know…but hey! Chapter 20 is finally written! And the ren-faire starts next week too! Huzzah!