A/N: Finally... the last chapter. I'm very relieved that this is over. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed writing and sharing it, and I especially enjoyed all of the lovely reviews. I'm glad that I could at least finish what I started, even if it did take me forever. My only regret is that the story just wasn't very good. I hope it provided some entertainment at least.

Oh yeah, there will be an epilogue after this, just because I already had most of it written up and I think that's it's not awful enough to not post... and stuff. Also, this site is still being weird and messing some of the spacing and stuff up, so please bare with me on any mistakes.

Closure

Emptiness. That's all I felt at first. I was in a void of nothingness, trapped between the world of the living and the world of the dead. I could not remember who or what I was, or if I had ever even existed. It was an experience unlike any other. Surely this was dying, or so I thought.

Then everything came rushing back to me in in a blur of light, and I was momentarily stunned by the mix of pleasant and horrible memories flooding my mind.

I distantly heard soft voices muttering to each other, and when I heard Link I knew that I was not dead, as I had assumed.

"You think he had been planning to possess the boy all along?" The voice belonged to what sounded like a little girl - young, but wise beyond her years.

"I wouldn't doubt it," said an older, bitter female voice. "He was nothing but a pathetic, power-hungry monster, but there's no denying that he is intelligent enough to pull something like this."

"He's waking!" another voice cried as I lifted my heavy eyelids. Huddled around me were the blurry forms of the six sages, all of whom I had met in the past at one time or another: Saria of the Kokiri, Darunia of the Gorons, Ruto of the Zoras, Impa, Rauru, and Nabooru of the Gerudo. Confused but relieved to be alive, I rubbed my eyes.

"How are you feeling, Kiran?" Impa asked gently.

As I was about to reply, I heard agonizing screams in my head, and I knew that they belonged to Ganondorf.

"He's still there," I moaned, tears returning to my eyes. "He's still in my mind!"

"Shh, it's all right," Link reassured in a calm voice. "The important thing is that he's under control, and that you're alive."

My breaths came quickly and sharply as I continued to panic. Ganondorf was still screaming in rage and frustration, but the terrible sound was thankfully beginning to fade a bit. I slowed my breathing down and reopened my eyes, seeing Link by my bedside. He appeared battered and bruised, and I cringed when I remembered how Ganondorf had hurt him.

"What… what happened?" I whispered, my throat dry and my lips parched.

Link smiled at me through his bruised and smudged face. "You won," he said, his grin widening. That was the first time I can remember ever seeing him smile like that. "You beat Ganondorf; he's back in the Sacred Realm, where he belongs. He no longer has access to this world."

"Link," I muttered, "how… how did you know I had it in me to send him back? How could you possibly know that?"

His face darkened and his grin faded into a worried look. "Uh… actually, I didn't know. I was sort of biding for time and hoping to make him lose his nerve so that I could strike, and then the words… just sort of came out." His eyes shifted away and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Mother knew," I muttered, remembering my dream. I wondered vaguely if she also had contact with Link, and if he had subconsciously learned how to defeat Ganondorf from her.

I supposed we would never know. I was just thankful that it was over, even if I still had to work to keep Ganondorf under control for the rest of my life.

After giving several rounds of congratulations to both Link and me, the Sages all finally parted and headed off towards their individual temples. Link reluctantly allowed Leora to visit with me soon afterward.

"Daddy says you're sick!" she exclaimed excitedly. "And that I shouldn't pester you too much!"

"Hush Leora, you're going to give him a headache," Link scolded. I just laughed. After the day's ordeal, it was such a relief to see my bubbly little sister again. I shuddered when I thought about what could have happened to her had I let Ganondorf keep his control over me.

"Can we go outside, Daddy?" Leora asked, interrupting my thoughts. "You always said that fresh air is good for you, so maybe it will make Brother better!"

Link sighed. "No, I'm sure Kiran is exhausted and wants to rest…"

"That sounds nice," I interjected, smiling at my little sister. "I'll go outside for a little while."

We sat outside on a balcony and listened to Leora babble on for a while. Soon she grew restless and wandered off down the stairs to go play in the gardens. Link and I sat there in silence for a few moments as we gazed at the brilliant sunset. Off in the distance, to the East, I could see Death Mountain, majestically silhouetted against the vibrant sky. I looked to the West toward Gerudo Valley and thought about Toril. Even after so short a time away, I missed her terribly. I knew that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and that Link would accept it in time.

Then I started thinking about my mother. Had she truly been speaking to me from the afterlife in that dream, or had it merely been my imagination? Was she looking down at me right now? If so, was she looking at me with love and compassion in her eyes or with hatred and revulsion? Somehow, I didn't truly believe the latter, even if the dream I had had of her had actually only been a dream. Deep within my soul, I felt that she had forgiven me and was watching over me now, perhaps even with pride and empathy.

Link spoke after awhile, interrupting my thoughts.

"You've been through a lot," he said, staring thoughtfully off at the horizon. "And there's more that you will have to overcome in the near future. But I have faith in you." He paused, absently running his hand along his sword's sheath that hung at his belt. I could tell that he was a bit nervous. After all, he had never liked to show much emotion in front of anyone, especially me.

"Yes, you'll pull through. I'm certain of it," he continued, nodding to himself. "I know it's been far from easy for you. Ganondorf is quite the formidable opponent. I know from experience. But you didn't give up. I'm… proud of you."

I snapped my head up and stared in surprise. I couldn't help it. He had never said those words to me before. He was proud... of me? Even after all Ganondorf had forced me to do? Even though I was the offspring of his greatest enemy?

Link noticed my expression of surprise and smirked.

"I know, I know," he said. "I haven't done much to show it, and I apologize for that. I've kept my distance from you for a very long time." He sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry. If you really want to know the truth, I was scared of you."

I just stared. The almighty Hero of Time, scared of me?

"I've been terrified of you since the day you were born. Terrified that you had too much of Ganondorf in you. That you would become him. That you would hurt Zelda."

"But I did hurt her," I finally spoke up, looking down at the ground and angrily trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. "You were right the whole time. I killed her," I said bitterly, bursting with shame and anger at myself

"No, Kiran. Ganondorf killed your mother," he declared firmly. "We have established that. No one blames you for her death. No one. Understand?"

He has such a steely look of determination on his face that it almost frightened me. I only stared for a moment and nodded. He sighed deeply before going on.

"The truth is, I think of you as a son. I didn't before, I'll admit. But now, I think we have formed a bond much stronger than blood. Sure, I'm not your biological father, but somehow it doesn't seem to matter anymore." He paused and glanced at me. "I can only hope that you feel the same way."

I stared into those blue eyes of his and saw that he meant every word. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my heart, and the feeling almost made me breathless. Once more, I felt Ganondorf's presence completely leave my mind.

I smiled and nodded, certain now that I did truly think of him as a father. After all, he had been there for me all these years, in spite of who I was and what I had done, while my real father had forcefully invaded my mind and body and essentially tried to force me into becoming his reincarnation. I finally realized how much I admired Link for everything he did, and everything he was. He was my mentor, my friend, and my confidant.

But most of all, he was my father.

I could almost see my mother smiling down at us through the crimson-tinted clouds, and for the first time in my life, I felt at peace with myself. Link seemed to read my mind.

"She loved you so much," he said pensively. "And she still does. From the moment you were born, she protected you and defended you against everyone and everything. Even against me." His eyes shifted downward remorsefully. "I tried to convince her to get rid of you, and I am ashamed of that. I shouldn't have judged you so soon. Your mother had faith in you. She knew you were destined for great things. I guess she didn't have the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing."

I closed my eyes and smiled. "I guess not," I agreed.

There we remained until the sun disappeared behind Gerudo Valley, bringing an end to the light of day, but promising to return tomorrow to begin anew.

Just as we would.