Disclaimer::sighs: For the last time, I am not Shigeru Miyamoto. Don't sue.
:sighs happily: I am very pleased to say that this is the last chapter of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Manga. After two and a half years… it shall be complete! Oh, and in case you couldn't tell, I changed my pen name… Not much else to say except, let's do this thing!
And let it be known that I am a Link/Zelda fan and it really shows in this chapter. It's perfectly all right if you see things differently, but this is just my take on things. I don't want any flames on the matter because I shall use them to roast marshmallows and to fry up orcs because orcs are stupid.
Also, I have at the end, Zelda playing The Song of Time, not Zelda's Lullaby. This is artistic license and to me it makes more sense for her to play. :shrug:
Oh, and please note that I changed my pen name from the last two updates, but, for lack of reviews, I have changed it back to my original. Be warned, however, that I will change it back once this is posted after a while. Thank you and sorry for the confusion! Although, based on how screwy has gotten lately, I think I might set up my own web page sometime and move all my fic to there. Yeah, I really don't like anymore. My favourite author(s) (they're under one penname—Cassia) just booted herself (themselves…? BAH! Don't care!) off because got so strict with their rulings… :sighs: But luckily, they have their own website that archives their series, so no worries!
Okay…… Round Two… GO!
Chapter Eleven
Fate Is So BeautifulRed blood was in a small pool around Ganondorf; the arrow tip itself did not pierce his heart, but just the sheer light and purity of the Light Arrow was enough to cause that much damage to the Gerudo King. He was crouching on one knee with one hand by his throat, breathing in deep, liquid-filled gasps, in a state of semi-shock.
As for Link, he had dropped his bow to his side. He walked over to the far wall and picked up his Hylian Shield and once again put it on his back, slipping his bow with it. He looked back at Ganondorf's form once again, with an almost pitying look… almost.
The Evil King's thoughts were ones of confusion, shock, and anger, not to mention pain. He said in a soft voice of bewilderment to no one in particular, "How can it be… that I failed? How can it be… that the Dark King Ganondorf… was bested by… a boy!" He gave another liquid-filled cough and then stared at the Hylian in front of him. In a fit of rage, he lifted his fists in the air and shouted throughout the chamber in a loud voice, "Noooooooo!"
Then he fell face-forward onto the floor, unconscious. Even as he lay there, unmoving, the echo of his unearthly cry still haunted the room.
Link stood only three feet away from his body. His dirty, bruised, sweaty face looked, in all honesty, saddened. He almost… pitied the Gerudo. Almost.
Suddenly, from the other side of the room, a small light erupted from the crystal holding Zelda captive. Link looked up with anxious eyes as the crystal slowly descended and then melt away, freeing the Princess.
Link gasped, his mouth slightly open. Not wasting another moment, he ran towards her. She met him halfway and they embraced each other. Link held onto her like there was no tomorrow, she not caring in the slightest that he was incredibly filthy. (ewwww…) He had been scared to death that Ganondorf had done something to her in his absence. No matter. Zelda was safe, as was Hyrule.
Link stepped back and held her face in his hands and said in a low whisper, "I thought I lost you again…"
"You didn't," she replied back, smiling as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Not wanting to interrupt the reunion, but needing to tell her partner her sentiments, Navi slowly flew by Link's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry about earlier, Link… that I couldn't fight with you."
Link smiled as he let the Princess go, still holding her hands though. "It's all right. You would have been there if you'd been able." He looked at Zelda and saw that she was gazing sadly at Ganondorf's still form.
She sighed softly. "Ganondorf—!"
But whatever words she was going to say were never heard as a terrible rumbling quaked the entire castle. The stained-glass windows around the room were shattering and the walls were caving in! In a last act of defiance, Ganondorf was trying to crush Zelda and Link in the ruins of his tower. Knowing the way out, Link gripped Zelda's hand tighter and made a break for it. All the steps that had taken Link nearly half an hour to climb they descended in less than half that time. They left the body of Ganondorf in the upper chamber and the Princess and the Hero made it out of the main entrance just in time.
During the collapse of the tower, Link had used his own body to shield Zelda. When there was silence, he allowed her to stand and both looked at the wreckage. It was eerily quiet.
Finishing her thoughts from before, Zelda broke the silence by saying, "What a sad man he was. Because he did not own a strong and righteous heart, he could not control the power of the Triforce…" She sighed and turned to Link. "At least it's over, now."
Link smiled knowingly. " 'Over'? You mean the fight?" he laughed lightly.
"Yes, the fight," Zelda returned with a small laugh.
THOOM! A sound came from across the ruins… Link looked up and Zelda noted it as well. The Hero looked at Zelda with a questioning look. "Wait here, I'll check it out…"
He, along with Navi, walked slowly across the plain, looking warily about.
THOOM, THOOM, THOOM!That doesn't sound good… Link darted his eyes to his right and there, without warning, burst out of the wreckage—Ganondorf!
Link recoiled at the sight of him, shocked by his presence. Definitely not good!
"Ganondorf!" Link heard Zelda scream in horror with her hands over her mouth in shock.
"He's still alive!" Link hollered.
The resurrected Gerudo flashed Link the backside of his hand, brandishing Power. Of course, the Gerudo still had had possession of the Triforce of Power when the tower fell. He had been saved by the graces of the goddesses. With a shout, he summoned the power of the piece he held. His body started glowing blue and then he was completely changed.
Link gaped at the monster that stood before him now. It was a gigantic creature with horns on the top of his head that towered at least twenty feet in the air. In each monstrous hand was a sharp, long, gold-plated blade that, in one fell swoop, could behead Link. This behemoth was known as Ganon.
He gazed at the monster with a look of terror and said, "The Triforce gave him that power!"
Zelda hollered from behind Link, "This creature is a reflection of what lies within Ganondorf's heart, Link! He's full of hatred for you!"
Link understood her words but was too absorbed in the fact that Ganon had just raised a scimitar to attack him. He dodged it, leaping backward, and then jumped right back up, Sword in hand, saying nastily, "Well, if that's how you feel, take this!" He aimed his blade at his head, but Ganon blocked with his own blade and then swung out, sending Link into a pile of rubble. Because of the force from Ganon's blade and the fact that Link was thrown into unconsciousness, the Master Sword went flying from Link's hand, whirling through the air and landing blade wedged into the ground.
Zelda saw the whole thing and her eyes were huge.
Navi flew up to Link, panic written in her voice and in her face. "Wake up, Link! Ganon is coming!" But she said these words in vain; Link's eyes remained closed.
Ganon was indeed coming closer. He was ready for the kill; he wanted desperately to shed Link's blood. He would relish the fact that he ended the Hero of Time's life. "Link… you are mine…!"
Just then, Zelda took up the Master Sword and, with a look of determination, ran to defend Link. She threw the Sword at Link's side, yelling to jerk him awake, "Link, the Master Sword!"
Ganon growled menacingly. This Princess was almost more trouble than she was worth. If she didn't possess Wisdom, he would have killed her right then, but reason won out in Ganon's head. As he looked at her unflinching form, he made to strike her out of the way, but a soft, but strong voice stopped him.
Link had awakened. He slowly reached for the Master Sword. "Ganon… don't forget…" he said in a cracked voice while using his sword to leverage himself up onto his knees, "your enemy…" he winced as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, "is me!" Link sprang to life once more, with the healing properties of the Triforce of Courage, running behind Ganon and slicing a deep and large cut in its tail.
That area of his body breeched, Ganon started to wail. Obviously, that was a weak point. Taking advantage of the situation, Link went in again, but by this time, since it had taken a moment for the Hylian to recognize the ailment, Ganon caught Link before his attack could be administered. He batted him away as if Link were merely a pesky bug.
Link landed on his feet, thankfully not breaking an ankle or anything, and sprang back around again, cutting another section of the tail. A piece of fallen building also landed on it, too, causing Ganon to be even more distracted. A look of deadly intent crossed Link's face. He was ready for the kill.
He let go of his shield and gripped the hilt of the master Sword with two hands and took a running leap high in the air, so high that only the Triforce of Courage could have aided him to make it that high. He sliced straight through the monster's massive belly.
Link landed smoothly on his feet just in time to see Ganon body slam to the ground, with him just a few feet away.
Everything was quiet; the only things that could be heard were Ganon's laboured breathing and Link soft pants as he recovered.
Then, the Master Sword started glowing blue. Link held it up and looked at quizzically.
Zelda walked up slowly behind the Hero. "The Master Sword is speaking. It says that it just gave you supreme power. And, that you must deliver the final blow unto the Evil King."
As the aura died down, Link lowered it and looked at the mass that lay unmoving in front of him. Now was the time… the time to end the tyranny and reign of Ganondorf.
Link slowly walked up to the creature. He saw in its eyes that he knew what was coming. With a shrill cry, the Hero of Time lifted the Master Sword and drove it straight into Ganon's head, right between its eyes.
Now it was Zelda's turn. She raised her arms high above her head and immediately, a white orb appeared, the symbol that she was the leader of the Sages. "Six Sages, NOW!"
The Wise Ones heard her plea. Rauru commanded them to him, saying, "Ancient creators of Hyrule, now open the sealed door and send the evil incarnation of darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!"
Each one summoned their maximum power and opened the door.
Back on the battlefield, rays of light shot down from the sky. Slowly, they took away the Triforce of Power from Ganon, returning him to Ganondorf, and banished him to the Evil Realm.
"Curse you, Zelda. Curse you, Sages," they could hear him muttering as he rose up and up. "Curse you, LINK! Someday, when this seal is broken, I will destroy your descendents! I swear it!"
And then he was out of sight.
Almost immediately, it seemed, the dark storm clouds disappeared, the sun's rays once again shedding their warm light on Hyrule. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
"It's over, now…" Link smiled while looking into the west at the sun, just beginning to set. The sky was still painted a pretty pastel blue and looked gorgeous with a foreground of Death Mountain. His attention was averted when Zelda spoke.
"Thank you, Link. Now, Ganondorf has been sealed in the Dark World."
Link turned to look at her, smiled and encouraged, "Now we can rebuild Hyrule. Make it as good as it was before all this—even better!"
Zelda's demeanor sobered and she closed her eyes. She said sorrowfully, "Once Hyrule has begun to inch towards peace… that is when we must part."
Link drew his breath in sharply and blinked. No. But…
Hearing Link's reaction, Zelda explained herself further, "Before the Triforce was taken by Ganondorf, I tried to take control of the Sacred Realm. But that was a very foolish action. The Triforce fell into his hands anyway and the altercations wound up entailing you as well." She sighed and then continued, knowing that she was only delaying the inevitable, "Now that the feud is over, as the seventh Sage, I must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time. However, by doing so, the road between times will be closed."
She turned away, her eyes very sad. Zelda took another deep breath and held out her hand to Link. "Please give me the Ocarina. I can use it to return you to your original time—your lost time."
"My lost time…" Link breathed softly. He would be free to live the remainder of his life, without having to go on an adventure. He would know what he had done in the future, but no one else would; maybe not even Zelda... But, did he really want that? He always talked about 'those seven years' but now that it was a possibility that he could live them, did he really want to?
"Please, wait a second." He wanted to say so many things to Zelda and before he could stop himself, Link blurted out, "I didn't come because I was ensnared by the circumstances at hand. The reason why I fought… Zelda—it was for…" But he couldn't get the words right. Every time he tried, they sounded stupid. He stopped and turned his gaze downward in sadness and slight shame.
Zelda looked at him and she thought she understood. He wanted to be with her, no matter how much time he had lost. But she wouldn't let him do that. It was her fault in the first place that he had been dragged into this. "Following my father's footsteps, I shall govern Hyrule. Link, from now on, thanks to you…" a tear fell from her sapphire eye and fell gracefully to the grass beneath her feet, "Hyrule is peace. Now," she smiled mirthlessly and looked at Link, "return home."
Link looked at her, fighting back tears of his own, his hands clenched in fists at his sides. He loved her; it was official, there was no way he could deny it any longer. But, as he had reminded himself countless times, she was a Princess; she was royalty. He was… nobody, nobody of nobility anyway. It was a fantasy and he felt it bitterly in his heart.
Link brought his left hand across his chest and then he knelt in front of his Princess, showing her the highest respect. He looked up at her and pledged, "I am the Hero of Time. No matter when, no matter where… for the sake of Hyrule, and for you, Princess Zelda, I shall fight." He bowed his head before royalty.
Zelda looked down at him with sad and understanding eyes. She saw the meaning clearly through his words: he loved her. And she loved him. She had known it for sometime, but had never come to terms with the emotions. But that was just it; she loved him so much that she was willing to give him back the seven years he had lost.
She walked up to him and knelt down in front of the Hero. With the most gentle of movements, she tipped Link's head up and gave him a small smile, then bade him to rise. He did as she gestured. The two just looked into each other's eyes. There was so much love there it was immeasurable. Slowly, he stepped in closer to her; he noted with a small amount of surprise that she didn't move away. He swallowed hard and then moved in closer, slowly closing his eyes. She did as well and their lips locked in a sweet kiss. They stayed together for a few seconds and then he moved his arms to grip her shoulders and they embraced one another with all the love in their hearts. Both of their eyes were closed in sweet, seemingly endless bliss.
They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually let go and looked at each other again. Before he could second-guess himself, Link nearly shoved the Ocarina of Time into Zelda's hands. They had to set the time stream back into sync again.
With one last look, Princess Zelda laid eyes on Link, the Hero of Time, the boy who had become a man, the man who had become the Hero, the Hero who had become her love.
She brought the Ocarina to her lips and played the notes of antiquity: the Song of Time. Instantly at Link's feet a blue circle of light appeared. A gentle force raised him up in the air. He sadly gazed down at Princess Zelda, his eyes overflowing with tears. He heard her say softly, "Thank you, Link. I love you… Good-bye…"
And then Link departed.
If I never knew you, if I never felt this love,
I would have no inkling of how precious love can be.
And if I never held you, I would never have a clue
How at last I find in you, the missing part of me
In this world so full of fears, full of rage and lies.
I can see the truth so clear in your eyes, so dry your eyes.
I'm so grateful to you;
I'd have lived my whole life through lost forever
If I never knew you.
If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real.
Never knowing I could feel a love so strong and true.
I'm so grateful to you;
I'd have lived my whole life through lost forever
If I never knew you.
I thought our love would be so beautiful.
Somehow we make the whole world bright.
I never thought that fear and hate could be so strong,
All they'd leave us were these whispers in the night.
But still my heart is saying we were right.
If I never knew you, if I never knew you,
I would have no inkling of how precious life can be.
And I thought or love would be so beautiful.
Somehow we make the whole world bright.
I thought our love would be so beautiful,
We changed the darkness into light.
But still my heart is saying we were right.
And if I never knew you, I'd have lived my whole life through
Empty as the sky, never knowing why, lost forever,
If I never knew you.
--Hal Ketchum & Shelby Lynne
'If I Never Knew You'Link stood in a daze in the antechamber in the Temple of Time, with the Master Sword firmly wedged in the Pedestal of Time before him. He blinked a couple times and looked down at himself; he was no longer a man, he was… a little boy. Again. He really was back in the past. He looked behind on his back and saw that he still had the Kokiri Sword and a Hylian Shield. He also retained the knowledge of what had just happened… or, rather, never would happen since he stopped it.
He looked up at Navi and smiled. She returned with one as well, only hers was bittersweet. She said in a teary voice, "Link, you've become a wonderful Hero… Now I can return to the forest, my duty is complete. You will always be in my heart. Farewell, Link…" And with that last sentiment, the little fairy flew out of the open window on the back wall.
Link watched her go and was tempted to call her back, but stopped himself. He wasn't a Kokiri, therefore he didn't need a fairy. He would miss his friend, but he was Hylian, same as Princess Zelda… Zelda! Would she remember?
Link spun around and went down all but two steps when suddenly he stopped. He glanced back at the Master Sword and smiled warmly. That was his Sword, but not at this time. Should Hyrule ever be in need, he would always be ready to take it up again. With one last fond glance, he dashed out of the Door of Time and into the lobby and then into the Market, heading towards the Castle.
The Market was abuzz with the gentle chitchat of sellers and traders, but Link paid it no heed as he rushed through the square making his way to the Castle. He looked up at it and breathed a sigh of relief; he had thought to never see it again. Coming out of his stupor, he leapt up the vine and then retraced the rest of his route through memory. Finally he came to the Castle's main courtyard, where he had met Zelda previously… As he slowly walked up to the stone steps, his booted feet treading lightly on the soft green grass, he prayed to all the higher powers that she would remember him.
He still loved her. He hadn't forgotten the kiss he had given her, the same one that she had accepted…
There she was, once again gazing through the window, spying on her father's council this time. It couldn't have been Ganondorf she was eyeing, he was trapped in the Evil Realm; he didn't exist here.
Link stopped midway through the garden when he saw her start. He thought he heard her gasp. This is it, he thought, she's going to turn around and then… who knows what will happen? Please let her remember, please…
She turned around and looked at Link. Oh, dear gods, she was just as beautiful as ever; Link's knees went a little weak, but he stood firmly and waited…
Just when things were looking unsure, Zelda clasped her hands in joy and her eyes lit up in splendor. Link had come.
She did remember. She remembered everything.
The End of 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time':lets out a HUGE sigh of relief and joy: Finally, after two and a half years… it is finished. I am very proud of myself. I hope you guys had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. It was quite frustrating at times, particularly this chapter because of the time factor, but hopefully things were understandable. It is veryconfusing in the game and I tried as hard as I could to make it the exact opposite in this please tell me what you thought of this chapter (how I wrote it and all that) and the story itself as a whole (what did you like, what didn't you like, what I need improvement on—that sort of thing. One rule: no flames! I have marshmallows and orcs to fry with those! )
Also, please be aware that after a few weeks, this story and my profile will cease to exist on But before I delete my account I will go through and send an email to all my reviewers and tell when I have my site up. I have a site as of now, it's just empty! Haven't had a chance to build and with exams coming up, it probably wont be up until at least—gosh, I don't really know. I'm leaving for Europe on June 5 and spending 12 days over there, or something like that… So I might not work on that site for a while. So at any rate this will be on still for a long time. Until the reviews really stop coming in.
Okay, as of right now, I have nothing more to say to you all, except please, when you get an email about my site, don't just read and then delete. At the very least save it and check it out later… Please? It would really mean a lot to me…
Thank you so much for reading this! Each and every review meant so much to me! Love you all!
Namarie ad sidh, mellyn nin! (farewell and peace, my friends!)
