Author's note: Sorry it took so long, finals came up and you have to study for those, got to get good grades. (sniffle) Next to last chapter… But the ending is GREAT!!! (And emotional at the same time). Hope you enjoy! (whistles) I'm in a happy mood today!

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Chapter 15: The Debt Repaid

The air felt so much closer once within the tower, but the inside was unexpected concerning the tower's outer appearance. There appeared to be a water path shallow enough for your feet to walk upon going down the middle of a marble flooring of a white grayish color and the walls reflected the water's image of beautiful swirls moving around. However, even though the surroundings appeared to be bright, the water reflected the room in a darker manner, instead of beautifully carved sculptures on every corner, they were demons staring down at you with eyes glazed in blood. Cobwebs were spread around the walls and the feeling was more ill. This path of water led to a dark entryway where nothing could be seen inside from that distance.

Link looked back at Zelda who he found that he had reached for her hand and clenched it tightly, holding it firmly at his side. He then turned to Ralph who nodded in an assuring way. Sooner or later they took a step forward, then another and another. They were steps of courage… stepping in with the light, marching toward the dark. As they stepped on the dark water path, the image rippled with each step. As they approached the darkness, their faces began to become veiled with shadows.

They had come to some steps that curved around and led to a hall with statues of demons and a red rug ran down the middle leading to another door. The walls were lined with torches of blue fire, but the most eerie thing was the whispers that grew louder and louder as they proceeded through the hall. The three of them went to a halt and looked around themselves.

"Hylian soldiers are not the only minions Ganondorf has…" Link said clinging onto the hilt of the Master Sword.

"You are correct, the presence I'm feeling in this room is most ill… it is as the cold winter wind clinging onto your health, keeping you from it."

From there, they began to see shadows looming across the walls, blowing out the torches as they overwhelmed them with their darkness. Sooner or later, the room was covered with shadows with a blue tint in them. And nothing could be heard except for the anxious breaths of the three who had intruded. They waited until a thud was heard behind them, quickly chills ran down their spines and they turned around in haste.

However, it was too late, suddenly all of them heard a deep swooping sound coming from behind them. Quickly they turned to find a horrible beast of shadow swinging an enormous sword down at them. Link managed to raise his sword and block it, but as he did, more creatures of the same manner seem to come out of nowhere. Sooner or later they were surrounded in the narrow and dark hall. Zelda looked back and saw them approaching them from behind as well. Ralph drew his sword as well and muttered to himself.

"We have no choice but to fight them off."

The air grew close around them when they began to fight as flashes of light sparked in the middle of the dark when swords collided. In every direction there was a pair of red eyes gazing strait at you with a thirst for blood. Zelda had attempted to reach the power she had touched long before, but it was not as strong as she had expected, and it surprised her to see it.

"Link!" She called for help.

Link darted his head toward her and saw a shadow beast take hold of her to strangle her. Grinding his teeth with anger, Link charged at it and slew it so it was no more. As it was split in two, it had dissolved with a screech and it seemed to fade into the shadows where it came from and Zelda had fallen to her knees. Link took hold of her hand to help her up but a creature had come from behind him. Zelda screamed in terror as Link covered her to protect her. He flinched, awaiting the excruciating pain that was coming. However, to his surprise he heard a loud clang instead, a clash between swords. He looked back and saw Ralph holding back the sword that was meant to kill him. The blades were trembling however, as though as both wielding them were using all their strength to overpower one another.

"Ralph!" Link called to him.

"Go! If we all stay here, these things will keep coming and Ganondorf will never be defeated and the ending of the world is nigh! Go now!"

"Ralph, you can't fight them alone, you'll die!" Link said his voice harsh and commanding.

"I don't care! I owe you two my life." Ralph shouted back to him, "It doesn't matter if I die... I have nothing to loose and I want this age to end for the future… I want you to take care of that future. If this is to be my end then I will make it such an end."

Link stared in shock, his words were fired back at him.

"GO, NOW!"

Link rose to his feet quickly, holding Zelda in his hands and he rushed out the way they were heading to, in order to fight Ganondorf. Ralph made sure they had gone out before he turned toward the beast and threw him off and stared at what laid before him. Each of the beasts loomed closer and closer toward him as Ralph raised his sword in front of him in a position that lead into another stance.

"Today… the debt shall be repaid."

He stood still and strong as the shadow creatures formed into one greater than any other. It took the form of a demon of skies shrouded in shadow and red and glowing eyes sinister and evil. However, Ralph seemed not to show a sign of fear in any way. When the air froze with stillness, Ralph charged forward sword parallel to his side. The beast had blocked his sword, which seemed nothing more then a shred of silver to it, blocked it with its enormous claws. Eventually he was thrown over the beast's shoulder and was crashed into the wall. The stone around him began to collapse and fall to the ground as he did. It felt as if some of his ribs were broken but the pain was nothing due to his determination.

He slowly rose to his feet taking sword in hand and charging once again. Even though he had changed targets and angles, it was no use, for he was once again thwarted off ruthlessly. Bruises began to cover him head to toe and blood began to run from his mouth, but they were only the first of his wounds. There were many attempts made to attack the beast but all had failed. So Ralph once again laid in front of the beast of shadow and gazed up at it.

It seemed to be much larger than it was before when it had first formed. It's chest rose up and down as its wings moved slowly behind it's back and fire leaked from its mouth and smoke burst from its nostrils. Ralph looked up at the dragon-like creature and a shred of darkness formed within him and grew and grew.

Ralph clenched his bruised and scathed fists on the ground and sweat ran down his face and dropped on the ground and tears began to fill his eyes. He closed his eyes and became lost in his memories. The first thing that came to his mind was his long lost mother, who had passed away so long ago. She held him in her arms and would rock him back and forth whenever he had doubted himself and always turned to tears. He remembered how she would rub the back of his head and say,

"Ralph… don't worry…" When she spoke her voice was so gentle, "Doubt shrouds us time to time… but that is never the time when we throw ourselves away. Your heart will see the path and you will know the way. Remember this."

Her voice faded into the back of his mind as he opened his eyes once again and found himself in the cold and dark hallway with wounds all over his body and horrible pain that he had never felt before. He moved his hand toward his sword and looked up at the demon before him, which was about to strike. Ralph had gathered all his strength and bowed his head once again gathering every last bit of it.

"I can not… I will not… die in vain…"

The beast raised its claws, ready to deliver the final blow on Ralph, however he had let out a cry of battle and jumped toward the beast, sword above his head. In a moment, he had impaled the beast in its chest, but was thrown back by something similar to a shock wave. He heard it cry out in pain as a light shed from it and dissolved in a mass of light. Once the beast was destroyed it was all quiet until Ralph fell to the ground, sword barely out of hand. He breathed heavily in and out as his blood leaked out of him, but he did not fear. A smile crept across his lips even though he was awaiting his own death to come, but he was thinking of his mother as well as all of his family that only seemed like yesterday that he was playing with his brothers and sisters and hearing his parents' voices.

"My heart has revealed it to me…" Ralph said weakly, "I know the path I must take… it is separate from yours but you must go on, Link and Zelda…"

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Author's note: What did you think? (Don't hurt me.) If this chapter was too short I promise the next one will be extra long. Well hope you liked it! Please review! Oh, almost forgot… MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Special thanks:

Crescent-Wish-Forever: I know… ;; the end is coming soon… but this was a FUN story to write! Yeah we did great at our competition! Everyone was emotional and near to tears though, because it was our last real performance of the show. But we got an excellent. (Runs off, screams, and comes back.) Man… out of state judges can be dumb sometimes. Oh well, we know it was superior quality. (I got goose-bumps when I saw the show on tape.) But I'm okay now, I get to be in symphonic band next semester! :D Well, thanks for the review. I'm really glad you liked the last chapter!

Sakurelle: FLUFF IS COMING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!! (Hee hee… last minute fluff…) If you thought the last chapter was powerful… wait 'till you see the very last one… I have it planned and everything. Yeah, I like sticking in life-cherishing messages and morals. Well, hope you liked this chapter! (Yeah… kind of suspected it was his tail… It's so LONG.)

pen-gurl: Sorry the wait was so long! Finals… UGH! I've already discovered that they can be mind strangling. I managed to finish this chapter over the weekend but then I have to get back to studying. Hope you liked this chapter!

Syco: YOU'RE WELCOME!!! :D Here's another update!

Sorceress Cassandra180: YAY! I'm glad you liked it! Thanks so much for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!

kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: Oh man… I know what it's like to have a screwy computer… I just felt like tossing it over the railing and screaming at the same time. Oh gosh… whenever my friend Inu-chan and I watch the ending of OoT, we always scream, "WHY DOESN'T HE KISS HER?!" And Link and Zelly had the mood all set up and everything… aww… but at the end of Wind Waker it was really inferring something between them so I really think there will be fluff... Anyway, thanks for the review!