Isa: Ok this is it. The FINAL and LAST chapter of my story. I want to thank everyone who read this and took their time to review. You guys inspired me so much! Thank you so much you're all really nice people. Yeah i did put an Aladdin Reference in here to see if anyone would notice and they did! So yay! So hope you guys enjoy the ending and thanks SO much again. You don't know how much those things you said ment to me. All of you really I mean it. Writing is my passion of life. I'll be writing more things to come so if you guys want check out some of my other stuff and suggestions are very welcome on anything you might uh.....suggest! But yeah that's enough of my ranting so on with the conclusion!
Chapter Nine
The Six Sages walked in a single file line down a lengthy hallway. With the help of Durainia's brute strength and Impa's magic, the magicians and mages were able to successfully escape the imprisonment. Saria glanced around cautiously hoping that they would remain undiscovered. She screamed when a sudden explosion sounded off down the halls and pieces of rock flew out onto the carpet. Ruto glanced around the corner and gasped.
Ganondorf stood in the midst of the throne room. Steam drifted up off the ground and swayed in the humid air. Huge boulders of cement lay scattered through out the area and a gruedo guard, no not gruedo, but someone lay off to the side unconscious.
"Could it be....'' Ruto muttered to herself and ran to the female's aid. She turned her over onto her back and removed the headdress and cloth from her head and face. Long golden hair fell onto the girl's back and Ruto gasped.
"Princess Zelda!?" Ruto shook her violently, "Princess Zelda! What happened!? Wake up! Wake up!"
"She can not hear you." Impa's voice sounded behind her and Ruto glared over her shoulder, "She has been drained of her energy by the Dark Lord."
Ruto stared at Ganondorf, but he did not seem to notice the sages entering, for his gaze was glued to a stone wall, which was about to crumble away to pieces.
"Where's Lin-" Ruto began but was cut off by a sudden blast of dark magic that struck the wall.
"Come out and face me coward!" Ganon called to someone. Princess Ruto gasped as Link stepped out from behind the wall, his hand gripping something tightly behind his back.
"I wouldn't be calling the one who bares the Triforce of Courage a coward." Link mused and revealed his hidden object. A slender wooden bow was clenched tightly in his left hand and a straight arrow was attached to the string. The tip glowed brightly with a golden light.
"Impossible!" Ganondorf bellowed, "How could you retrieve your bow! It was taken from you!"
Link smiled. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to leave your toys lying around? Someone might trip and fall on them, or someone might use them against you!"
He pulled back on his bow tightly and released. The string propelled the Light Arrow forward; it followed a narrow flight path and then imbedded itself in Ganon's shoulder. The Gruedo screamed and the light magic slithered about his whole body, illuminating it with bright flashes of lightning. Link quickly unsheathed his sword and charged towards his foe. He raised it high above his head and brought it down.
The blade cut across Ganon's chest and then back up in an X motion. Orange fire whirled on the blade and hummed loudly as Link jabbed it through the King of Evil's sides.
Ganon coughed, red liquid spilling over his lips and collapsed to the floor. Link twisted his sword and pulled it out of Ganondorf's side, a small stream of blood spattered onto the floor. The blade was stained almost up to the hilt and Link was breathing slowly and harshly.
All was silent for awhile and then Saria threw her hands up and screamed for joy.
"You did it Link! You finally destroyed the ultimate evil!"
"Not yet, I still have to get Zelda's wisdom back." Link took the bag of his weapons that Durainia had fetched for him and slung it over his shoulder attaching it to the sheath strap that ran across his chest. He inserted the Master Sword and knelt down next to Ganon. He swallowed.
"Uh....does anybody know the extraction spell?"
Rauru laughed. "Fear not lad. Since Ganondorf does not rightfully own the Triforce of wisdom and is now dead, the goddess of Wisdom will give her gift back to Zelda. See? She awakens now."
Zelda's eyes fluttered and she stirred in Ruto's arms. Link rushed over to her and Ruto relinquished the Princess to the Hero of Time.
"Zelda?" Link whispered, "Zelda can you hear me?"
Zelda opened her eyes and blinked. "Link? Oh...am I? Dead?"
Link's eyebrows shot up. "Wha? No, no you're alive."
"Then I must be dreaming."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because....because you died."
Link couldn't help but to smile and laugh a little. "Yeah well, I'm not as dead as you thought. Don't ask me what happened but I guess it just wasn't my time to go."
"I'm glad." Zelda whispered and slinked her arms about Link's broad shoulders. "Oh Link..."
Link pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly. Suddenly a loud crash filled the cavern and jolted the group of heroes off their feet.
"What was that?" Link asked glancing up.
"The building's collapsing!" Navi screamed as debris began to fall from the ceiling. Link scooped up Zelda in his arms and turned towards the doors, which now leaned on their hinges.
"Come on! We've got to get out of here!"
The Sages and Navi followed Link outside the throne room and through the endless flights of stairs. Meanwhile boulders, rocks, and pebbled continued to rain and shower upon them as they sped down the stairways. Along the way a few Gruedo guards could be seen taking different emergency exists and getting crushed from the ceiling tiles ahead.
All of the dust and noise made it difficult to see and breath. Link squinted his eyes as he dashed along until he finally caught sight of the main exit. He shouted a warning to the sages behind him and put on a burst of speed and bolted through the doorway before a torrent of rock and marble sealed it off forever.
The group ran out into the courtyard and when they were a safe distance away they all stopped and turned to watch the castle crumble to it's knees, the ground quaking violently and ever shifting beneath their feet. The towers were the first to fall and they smacked into the whole of the castle. With the shifting of stone and rock the upper floors started to crush the lower ones and the loudness of it all rattled everyone's eardrums. Suddenly, the chaos and noise ceased and all was silent for hours. No one spoke a word, they only gazed into the vacant space where the Hyrule Palace once existed. All that was left was ruins of massive rock.
All was deadly silent.
Then Nabooru gave a shout. "WAAAWHOOOOO! Take that Ganondorf! No one messes with the Royal Family and it's friends and lives to tell about it!"
"We won! We did it! We finally did it!" Saria cried tears spilling over her cheeks in sudden joy. She grabbed Ruto's hands and the two spun around in a circle. Nabooru continued to shout random phrases and Durainia and Rauru cheered. Impa smiled and then her attention was drawn to Link and Zelda.
The Hero of Time let the Princess down slowly, his hands still not leaving her waist. "We did it Link." Zelda whispered her hands resting on his shoulders, "Now Hyrule can finally reside in peace and with Ganondorf gone, no one can reassemble the Triforce and use it's powers ever again." Link nodded and smiled warmly. Zelda stepped forward and Link pressed his forehead to hers. Their noses touched and then they were forced apart quickly as another earthquake struck.
All eyes turned towards the palace and Link pushed Zelda behind him. The debris shook and trembled and a sudden burst of blue light shot into the sky. A figure was suspended in mid air, it's clothes drenched in blood and it's eyes were pure white blazing hatefully.
Link took out the Master Sword once more as the figure held up it's left hand. A golden triangle throbbed and it's breathing was hard and slow. Link gritted his teeth.
"Ganondorf."
"But how!?" Navi shrieked, "you killed him!"
"He must be using his last once of strength to get his revenge." Zelda observed, "he is neither dead nor alive but some creature between the two. But what could he possibly-"
Zelda gasped as white light skewered Ganondorf's body and he screamed in hatred and rage. A strong wind picked up and black light swirled around his figure and grew larger. The Hylains, Zora, Gruedo, Kokiri, Goron, Sheikah, and fairy glared into the black sky. A crash of lighting roared across the sky, illuminating everyone's face with a white haze.
Link stared at the black cloud that had engulfed Ganondorf which was now beginning to diminish. A monstrous creature with huge tusks and a long snout stood before them. It's eyes were starch white and in it's long claws, attached to two muscular arms were twin golden swords. Almost the size of the palace and a short tail slithered behind him.
Link gasped. "What is that thing!?'' he screamed and Zelda narrowed her eyes.
"It's Ganondorf. He must have shape-shifted."
"No, really!?" Link shouted over the scream of the wind and rain, his blond bangs whipping at his face like crazy, "And you're tellin' me now, after all that I've been through, have to face that butt ugly monster!?"
Zelda stared at the floor and was silent. Link snorted and turned back to the newly formed Ganon. "Just peachy." he huffed, "nothing the Hero of Time can't handle. Oh never mind he's already died more times then he can count on this stupid adventure but sure, a big ugly man-eating monster with gnashing teeth and HUGE SWORDS won't hurt!"
"Link!" Zelda screamed after him, for in his ranting Link walked steadily towards the monster. He glared up, Ganon's hot demon breath blowing on his body.
"Ok buster!" The Hero of Time slipped his Hylian shield on his right arm and took all of the weapons out of the sack and inserted them in their rightful place. The brown bag drifted to the soaken ground when he was done with it.
"You and me! One last time!"
Ganon reared back, unleashing a loud war cry that extended up into the heavens. Saria clasped her hands over her ears and whelped. Ganon swung one of his swords downward and Link dived forward out of the way. He found himself standing underneath Ganon and he raised the Master sword high and ran across screaming, cutting a large gash in Ganon's underside.
The monster roared and spun around to face Link. The Hero of Time was much smaller and therefor much faster and he ran in a circle around the beast attempting to get it dizzy. But Ganon caught onto his plan and slung his head unexpectedly to the right. Slamming Link in the sides and sending him tumbling to the ground. The Master Sword was flung from his grip and it spiraled it's way to the sages' feet, who were to stunned from fear and shock to do much of anything.
Link struggled to his feet, his arms and sides scrapped badly from the pavement and when he finally stood Ganon's earthquaking footsteps jumped him two feet in the air. Ganon lowered his massive head and snapped up Link in his teethfilled jaws.
Zelda screamed, her hands covering her mouth and Saria fainted.
"LINK!!!!!"
"Look! He's all right!" Nabooru pointed to the monster's jaws, which were pried open with a blue crystal, which imprisoned Link inside. Zelda relaxed a little.
"Oh...Nayru's Love...."
Ganon swung his head from side to side, back and forth, viciously
and soon Link was sent flying into the air again, the magic of Nayru's Love fading. He plunged downward and his eyes widened in horror as he beheld the ground racing towards him. Instantly the memory of smashing into the palace floor when he first dueled Ganondorf popped into his mind. Well, he would learn from his almost fatal mistake.
"Feore's Wind!" he yelled and his body vanished in a green-yellow fire and reappeared safely on the ground in the same manner. Ganon's transparent eyes widened in confusion momentarily and then swung his golden sword down. Link jumped out of the way and continued to run around the arena, since it was pitiful to defend and with no weapon, he couldn't attack.
Princess Zelda shook her head furiously back and forth to clear her mind and scooped up the Master Sword from the ground.
"Link!" she screamed, "Link! Here! The Master Sword! Catch!" Zelda hoisted the sword into the air and the blade spun in it's flight path to Link's outstretched hand. With a little bit of magic, and a lot of hand-eye coordination he grabbed the hilt safely and ran around to the back side of Ganon and jumped onto it's tail.
Ganon swung his ugly head around and glared at the Hylain hero, who was climbing up his tail to his back. Ganon hurtled his tail to the left, then to the right. Desperately trying to get rid of the little pest. Link clenched the scalely skin of the tail and hung on for dear life. Suddenly the swerving pattern of the tail stopped and Ganon let out a loud and ear piercing roar. Link glared at Zelda and the Sages who had imprisoned Ganon in a grasp prism of light.
"Now Link!" Zelda yelled, "while he can't move finish him off!"
The Hero of Time nodded and leapt onto the creature's back. Blazing red fire spun around his blade like mad and he drove it into various sides of Ganon's flesh. With each stab came another roaring scream until Link could feel his altitude decreasing. With a puzzled look he stared down at the monster, halting another attack and realized Ganon was shrinking back down to his true form.
Link hopped away and Ganondorf tilted his head up. Rivers of red streamed over his entire body, and the glow of his Triforce flickered and then died out. He opened his mouth to say something and then shut it.
"What's that?" Link taunted and Zelda pulled him back, her face carved in stone.
"Ganondorf of the Triforce of Power, after all of the crimes you have committed against Hyrule, I sentence you to be exiled to the Sacred Realm and Dark World forever. By order of the Royal Family."
Zelda put up her hands together and a small white fire burned brightly in between them, the other sages followed suit. Ganondorf smiled, then screamed as the light hit him and just as he was fading away from the real world and into the Golden Land he muttered,
"Cruse you Zelda, cruse you sages, cruse you Link! Do not think this is the end! For one day when this seal is broken, I shall rein my revenge upon your descendants!" And then he was gone. The dark clouds of anger retreated away from the tired skies, replaced by a clear blue. Sunlight poured over the landscape, healing all of the destruction that had happened over those horrible seven years.
Rivers began to flow and birds began to sing once more. The people from every land rejoiced in the sun knowing that evil had finally been defeated. When the light reached Hyrule castle Link turned to Zelda.
"Well, we did it." he said, hardly not believing himself. Zelda nodded her back turned to him.
"Yes, but Ganondorf caused so much damage. We'll be cleaning up for years." Link rested a comforting hand on Zelda's shoulder and squeezed it.
"Yeah, but hey at least the worst is over."
"Oh Link!" Zelda yelled and spun around to face him, her eyes filling up with tears, "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this! If I hadn't tried to tamper with the Sacred Realm none of this would have happened! You have my eternal gratitude Link, I only wish there was something I could do to...wait maybe there is!"
"Is what?" Link asked blinking. Zelda wiped the tears away from her eyes and smiled.
"There is something I can do to repay you. Link listen to me. No human being should have gone through the things that you had to have overcome. No one should have seen the things you've seen, or herd of the things you've herd. Especially so young."
"Zelda-" Link stared and the Princess held up her hand.
"No don't interrupt me. If I stop now I won't be able to finish. Link, and I don't care what you might say, you were not ready for this. You were forced to grow up to fast and as a thank you I am going to restore you're lost childhood to you."
Link's eyes widened and the other sages gasped. "M-my childhood?"
"Yes, but I can only do it with the Ocarina of Time. You still have it don't you?"
"Of course. I'd never leave it anywhere." Link dug into the place beneath his shield and pulled out the Ocarina he treasured so much. Zelda held out her hand and instructed him to relinquish it to her. Link did so and Zelda put it to her lips then Link stopped her.
"Wait! If I go back, will I still remember you?"
Zelda smiled. "You can't get rid of me that easy. Yes you'll remember, along with everything else that's happened. Unfortunately."
"Will I ever see you again?"
Zelda bit her lower lip. The question was hard to answer. "Probably not."
Link stared at the floor. "Then...then I don't want to go back. I want to stay."
"I'm sorry Link. This is the way it has to be." Link stared up at the Princess who had already begun to play the Song of Time. Link felt himself slipping away into a vast tunnel of blue light. Very much like the same feeling he got when he pulled out the Master Sword for the first time. Only then he was going forwards, now he was retreating backwards. Traveling seven years into the past. Suddenly there was a bright flash of white light and Link closed his eyes to shield them.
There was a long whistling noise and then soon everything seemed to stop. In his hands Link could feel the Master Sword hilt, although it was bigger and both of his hands rested on it. He opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the handle, the blade inserted in a pedal stool with the symbol of the Triforce. Link hopped down from the platform, finding that he was much closer to the ground and as he turned his hands over, the Golden Gauntlets he wore as an adult were missing.
Link patted his cheeks and clothes. The sheath was gone as well as all of his other weapons. He spun around and glared into the Master Sword's blade. His reflection revealed to him that he was a little boy again, only ten years of age.
"I'm....I'm me again....." He stared up at the ceiling and saw, or at least he thought he saw, Navi floating out of the window and vanishing from sight. He glanced around him, he was standing in the Temple of Time, where his adventure had begun.
Link stretched out his back muscles and walked slowly, alone, out of the room where the Master Sword was kept. There stood the stone tablet that contained the three Spiritual Stones he had retrieved and, the Ocarina of Time. Link picked it up, and then turned it over slowly in his hands. Tears suddenly swelled up in his eyes and he placed the Ocarina in his pocket and then raced back towards the Master Sword Room.
But as he got there the doors slammed shut and Link crashed into them. He winced and stood up, his mind filling with questions. Was this all real? or was it just a dream? Where do I go from here? Do I go back to the Kokiri Forest or stay in Hyrule? After a long moment of silence and pondering Link thought it best to return to the Lost Woods. After all, Zelda's gift was his childhood and his childhood lay in the forest. Zelda....he would never forget that name as long as he lived. His mind took him back to the day when he first met her in the courtyard, standing by the window with a sad and desperate look in her eyes....
"That's it!" Link cried suddenly, "if I'm here...that means she'll still be in the courtyard!" The hylain ran out of the Temple of Time back to the palace. Leaving behind the entrance to the Sacred Realm and the Master Sword waiting. Waiting, until evil would plague Hyrule again and a new hero would be called to the wield the Sword of Destiny.
The
Beginning....