The combined Hylian and Gerudo archers were vigilantly keeping watch from their posts on the cliffs overlooking the castle path and on top of the gate guarding the path. Their eyes were unwavering in their duty. They knew that the enemy could attack at any moment, and that the Wizzrobes could appear anywhere at any time. They were on a constant lookout, making sure that every part of the castle path in front of the gate was being watched by at least one pair of eyes. Each archer had an arrow already notched in their bows so that they could fire at a moments notice.
For the first time in many hours the night was quiet. The only sound was the crackling of the torches. There were no crickets chirping or grass ruffling from the scampering of small animals. The silence was not only unnatural, but also unnerving. The sounds of metal clashing and of cries of pain and death had for so long filled the air that without it the night seemed empty.
For most of the soldiers, this current lull in the battle was so far the worst part of the war. Before the war even began they all knew the battle would begin at dusk, and when the battle did begin they all knew it was a life or death struggle. Right now though, all they could do was wait and wonder. They had no idea when the fighting would start up again, and they all knew that the next battle would be the last. Either they would win the upcoming conflict or they would all be killed. They all knew that there wouldn't be an in-between. Even though they were all getting their much deserved rest, the waiting was killing them. Anxiety was running high.
As the archers continued to watch the path, listening for any noise and watching for even the slightest movement, there was a bright flash in front of the gate. Over twenty Wizzrobes appeared out of thin air directly in front of the gate with their wands raised using the flash they created as cover. The archers standing watch on top of the gate as well as those closest to the flash were temporarily blinded, but knowing that they were under attack let loose their arrows. Those who weren't blinded fired their arrows directly at the Wizzrobes and readied another arrow as fast as they could for a second attack.
The arrows hit their marks killing about fifteen of the Wizzrobes, but not before they let loose their attack. The gate exploded in a giant eruption of fire, metal, and stone sending debris all over. The archers standing on top of the gate were all killed as were half of the knights armed with pikes standing watch behind the gate. The other knights were just blown into the wall behind them having the wind knocked out of them. With their job completed, the few remaining Wizzrobes disappeared.
Everyone was now on alert. With the gate destroyed there was no longer any defense against the enemy. They all knew that the enemy was now on its way to finish this. While the archers stood their ground waiting to weaken the enemy force as much as they could before running out of arrows, everyone else gathered their gear and got into battle formations.
It wasn't long before the archers saw the first of the enemy forces marching out of Hyrule Market straight toward them. They soon noticed though that they weren't the same soldiers that they had been fighting all this time. The enemy soldiers were all clad in heavy blue armor which made them nearly invisible in the darkness. Had Hyrule Market not been ablaze, they would've never seen the enemy coming. The enemy soldiers were carrying large, blue kite shields in their left hands and long, wicked looking swords in their right hands. It was now the Darknuts turn to fight.
The Darknuts were marching up the castle path in 5 columns standing shoulder to shoulder. The columns were in straight lines and continued all the way back into Hyrule Market were they continued to pour out of. Just the look of these guys instilled a sense of fear and dread into all the archers who laid eyes upon them. Knowing that this was it though, they all quickly recovered and fired their arrows at the oncoming Darknuts.
Volley after volley of arrows flew at the Darknuts, but not one Darknut was killed. The arrows broke or bounced harmlessly off of the Darknuts' armor, not even leaving a lowly scratch. The archers tried aiming for known weaknesses in full body armor such as under the arms and at the neck, but still the arrows had no effect. The Darknuts just marched on unopposed. The archers were at a loss of what to do. Knowing that they were doing nothing where they were, the archers reluctantly dropped their bows and retreated back to the main army.
The main army was currently standing directly in front of Hyrule Castle and facing the castle path. The main army was now one big mass of all four armies. In the center stood the Hylians. The Gerudo made up the left flank, and the Gorons made up the right flank. The Zoras, both because they were the smallest group and because they could fire their fins at the enemy, were standing behind the other three armies as the rear flank. Standing in front of all of them though, was King Hyrule.
Seeing that the enemy had not yet reached them yet, King Hyrule turned to take one last look at his soldiers. He could see the fear that was in all of their eyes, the same fear that was within his own heart. He knew that this was it, that they were now sending their power hitters to finish them off for good. King Hyrule wasn't going to make it that easy for them though. Turning around fully now so that he faced the army King Hyrule drew his sword and raised it in the air.
"Brothers and sisters in arms," King Hyrule declared in a calm, stern voice to the Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, and even the Gerudo, "all that we have fought for has culminated to this moment. This is the end of the line. You have all fought hard to protect Hyrule, but your duty is not yet finished. Hyrule is still on the verge of complete destruction, but we still stand in the way. For the first time in history all of Hyrule is united under one banner. Our actions will determine the fate of Hyrule. Don't get me wrong, the upcoming fight will be the most difficult any of us have ever been in, but it will also be the deciding factor. One way or another, either we will be wiped out or they will. If this is to be our end though, then we shall make it such an end as to be worthy of remembrance!"
King Hyrule's final words rang through the air, filling all the soldiers with a sense of hope and purpose. With a roaring cheer the soldiers drew their swords and readied their shields. Turning back toward the castle path, King Hyrule saw the first of the Darknuts coming up the hill. The sight of them revived the fear that the king had only just seconds ago repressed, but he didn't let on. He had just motivated his troops, and if he were to show fear now that motivation would disappear. Staring at the Darknuts though, King Hyrule knew that they were all dead unless Link could make the wish upon the Triforce.
With the Darknuts now coming off the path and stepping upon the field, King Hyrule yells at the top of his lungs and charges straight at the enemy. The Hylians, Gerudo, Gorons, and Zoras followed right after letting out battle cries of their own. The Darknuts just stood their ground. Without hesitation the Hyrulian Army slammed into the awaiting Darknuts with swords glaring and teeth flashing. The Hyrulian Army was ready to fight to the bitter end.
The Hyrulian Army attacked with a fierceness that they didn't even know they had. They slashed and hacked away with their swords, charged right into the Darknuts tackling them to the ground, and risked life and limb to do whatever it took to kill the enemy. Unfortunately, the Hyrulian Army was met with as much success as the archers had. Their swords were rendered useless against the Darknuts armor. Only the Gorons were having success at killing the Darknuts. With their immense strength they were able to punch right through the Darknuts armor just as Gerik had done with the Megaton Hammer.
With the initial attack a nearly complete failure, it was now time for the Darknuts to strike back. Silent though they were, they attacked with deadly efficiency. The Darknuts were easily able to pierce the armor of their enemies with their swords and brute force. Not even the Gorons, whose bodies had been able to repel the Arcanites' attacks, could resist the cold steel of the Darknuts' blades. Once again the night was filled with the clashing of metal and the many cries of pain, agony, and death.
Inside the castle all the sounds of the battle outside could be heard. The retainers just tried to ignore it and care for the wounded the best they could. For Navi though, ignoring it was a little harder. She was sitting in a chair next to Zelda's bed watching over Zelda just as she had promised. She wanted nothing more than to be out there fighting, but she had made a promise. Unable to contain her curiosity though, she got up out of the chair and went over to Zelda's window.
Navi looked out the window at the slaughter taking place down below. The instant she saw that the Darknuts were fighting she froze. It wasn't because of fear though, but because of hopelessness. She knew that no matter what, the Hyrulian Army was no match for the Darknuts. A powerful debate began within her head as to whether she should keep her promise and stay in the castle or go down and join in the fight. A tear falling down her face, Navi whispered "sorry Gerik" before grabbing her sword and making her way out of the castle and to the battle. As fatigued and weak as she was, Navi knew she wouldn't make much of a difference. She just couldn't stay in the castle though while others died in her place.
Navi wasn't the only one who couldn't ignore the sounds of battle. After making sure her father was alright and resting comfortably, Malon grabbed her bow and a fresh quiver of arrows and walked out onto one of the castle's balconies. Seeing that the enemy was heavily armored though, Malon knew that this wasn't going to be easy. What made things even worse was the fact that the Darknuts and Hyrulian Army were all intermingled. There were no longer any formations or any sense of order. The battle seemed to have been reduced to a life-or-death brawl.
Notching an arrow and carefully aiming, Malon let loose and watched as the arrow shattered upon hitting one of the Darknuts. Not letting that stop her, she fired another arrow, this time aiming for under the arms. Once again the attack was ineffective. Fearing that aiming for the neck would result in the same thing, Malon just stood there watching for any weakness that she could capitalize on. It then hit her, a place on the armor that no one could cover up. The problem was that it would be an extremely difficult shot in already difficult circumstances.
Notching her third arrow, Malon took careful aim. She spotted a lone Darknut cut off from the main battle and determined him to be the best target. Aiming as quickly and as carefully as she could, Malon fired the arrow. The arrow flew straight on course and right through the visor of the Darknut through his eye and finally stopping somewhere midbrain. At first the Darknut just stood there motionless seemingly unaffected, but then he fell to his knees and then flat on his face.
Malon, extremely satisfied that her plan had worked, notched another arrow in her bow and searched for another target. As she looked around she saw another warrior run out of the castle and head straight for the battle, the golden armor the warrior was wearing glistening in the torch light. Malon watched as the warrior readied her sword and charged full force into the battle with the same ferocity as the rest of the Hyrulian Army. Malon knew that herself and one other warrior wouldn't make much of a difference, but now that she knew how to kill the enemy it would at least make things a little more even.
The Master Sword glowing almost as bright as the Triforce in the background now, Link charged forward in a fit of extreme rage yelling at the top of his lungs. Link was filled with anger and hatred the likes of which he had never felt before. Never before had he ever felt the urge to kill except in self-defense or for the safety of Hyrule and his friends. This was different though. He wanted Ganon dead, and more importantly he wanted to be the one to kill him. Link wanted to spill Ganon's blood upon the ground and look into his eyes as his life slipped away.
Ganon actually grew a little fearful as he watched Link charge at him. Link's face was contorted into an expression of pure rage and looking into his eyes was like looking into the very core of hell itself. Ganon had never seen Link, or anyone for that matter, as angry as he was. Ganon's fear quickly disappeared though when he realized that he could turn Link's rage into an advantage. Ganon waited for Link to get right up to him, and just as Link took a swing Ganon teleported out of danger.
Ganon teleported directly behind Link and took a swing of his own. Link, somehow, immediately turned around when Ganon had teleported away and was ready for him. Link blocked Ganon's attack, stunning Ganon, and took another swing. Ganon teleported out of danger once again and to Link's left. Just as before though, Link was ready for him. He blocked again and took another swing. Ganon teleported again, but this time reappeared on top of a nearby boulder out of Link's reach.
Link turned to face Ganon and waited. He didn't know how he was able to predict Ganon's movements when he teleported, but he didn't care at the moment either. It was almost as if the Master Sword was guiding him. Smiling malevolently, Link ran forward and flipped up onto the boulder Ganon was standing on, bringing his sword down to strike Ganon as he landed. Ganon teleported out of danger though, but Link had expected this and quickly kicked off the boulder in the direction Ganon had teleported to. Ganon didn't realize what Link had done, so when he finally reappeared he had only a second to raise his sword and block Link's attack.
Ganon was pushed backward by the impact of the hit, but he didn't have any time to recover. Upon landing on his feet Link quickly followed up his attack by taking swing after swing at Ganon. Ganon was barely able to block one swing before another came straight at him. Ganon was being forced backward with every swing Link took, and in only a few more swings he would be trapped against the side of the mountain. Ganon couldn't even teleport away because with the way Link was swinging Ganon would be hit before fully disappearing.
Deciding to try something desperate, Ganon released his left hand from his sword and reached behind his back. He was at an extreme disadvantage now that he was blocking with only one hand, but with his left hand held behind him he started to gather energy. Ganon created an attack big enough to buy him the time he needed and thrust his hand into Link's chest, the energy he had been gathering slamming into Link and sending him flying several feet away. Ganon watched in enjoyment as Link landed flat on his face.
Now free to do what he wanted, Ganon created a dark energy ball in his hand. Ganon was shocked though to find that Link got up immediately upon hitting the ground. He had thought for sure his attack would've knocked him senseless for at least half a minute. Knowing he couldn't waste any time Ganon tossed the energy ball and quickly created another. Link just stood there as the attack came straight at him. Just as it was about to hit Link raised his sword to block the attack. Upon hitting the sword the energy ball dissipated and fizzled out. Ganon fired the other energy ball he had been creating only to be met with the same success.
Ganon now just stood there unsure of what to do. As he did that, Link swung the Master Sword vertically in front of him. In the wake of the swing a blast was created that was sent straight in Ganon's direction. Now worrying one bit, Ganon put up a barrier to deflect the attack. Unfortunately for Ganon, the blast cut right through the barrier as if it wasn't even there and hit Ganon square in the chest. Ganon keeled over in immense pain, unable to believe that his barrier was ineffective.
Link swung the Master Sword again and again, sending blast after blast in Ganon's direction. One by one the attacks connected, each one sending immense pain throughout Ganon's body. Ganon tried putting up a stronger barrier, but no matter how strong he made it the blasts kept going through. Ganon also tried blocking with his sword, but for some reason the blasts went right through his sword as well. Ganon just knelt there, pain coursing throughout his body. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this was it for him. Ganon now closed his eyes and awaited the next few blasts that would finish him off, but they never came.
Opening his eyes again, Ganon turned to see Link kneeling down on the ground as well using the Master Sword to steady himself. He was panting heavily and there was sweat running down his face. At first not understanding, it soon hit Ganon what had happened and he smiled. The pain in his body slowly going away, Ganon shakily stood up.
"You fool!" Ganon laughed. "It looks like in order to use that attack you need magic, and apparently you've run out. You've also weakened yourself. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll kill you now."
"Think again Ganon," Link stated as he stood up and readied the Master Sword. "Even if I have to die in the process, you will be the one to lose. I am going to kill you. Now stop talking and bring it already!"
Even though Ganon knew that his magic, barrier, and teleportation were all useless, he could still take out Link hand-to-hand. Now that Link no longer had the momentum from his rage, Ganon could easily overpower Link with his strength and skill. Readying his own sword, both Link and Ganon charged straight at each other. Ganon attacked first, taking a horizontal swing at Link's chest. Link back flipped out of the way, and then upon landing quickly flipped back toward Ganon bringing his sword down with all his might.
Ganon blocked the attack, and pushed Link off of him. He then ran forward, but this time it was Link who took the swing. Link did an underhand vertical swing that Ganon had to sidestep to avoid, but that wasn't Link's true attack. Link knew he would sidestep and had a fist waiting for Ganon when he did so. Link's fist connected with Ganon's face, but before he could capitalize Ganon began to swing his sword wildly to prevent Link from getting the upper hand. Unable to find an opening, Link stood back and waited.
Getting the feeling back in his nose, Ganon glared at Link before rushing him again. Ganon quickly swung his sword as many times as he could, causing Link to go on the defensive just as he had made Ganon do before. Link blocked the attacks with relative ease, which made him wonder what exactly Ganon was planning. Ganon's swings were sloppy and underpowered. Even if one did connect, it would've given Link nothing more than a scratch. Deciding to act before Ganon unleashed his real attack, Link allowed himself to be slashed so that he could thrust the Master Sword into Ganon's chest. Ganon noticed this surprise move last minute and stepped back, but not before the tip of the Master Sword was thrust inside him.
Both Link and Ganon were now bleeding, but Ganon's wound was far worse. Though only the tip of the Master Sword had entered his body, Ganon felt as if he had been stabbed fully by a red hot poker. Link meanwhile had minor discomfort on his left shoulder where he had taken the hit, but it wasn't much worse than a paper cut. Link watched Ganon writhe in pain, but Ganon didn't let his guard down for even a second. He fought through the pain and prepared for his next attack. Despite knowing better, Link was enjoying watching Ganon writhe in pain. It was almost invigorating him.
Ganon was becoming enraged himself now, but he was controlling it. He didn't want his rage to cloud his judgement like it was doing to Link. As Ganon knelt there, he couldn't believe how expertly Link was able to wield the Master Sword. In their fight seven years ago Link wasn't able to perform any of the tricks he was now, and the Master Sword didn't sting as much when it had slashed him. Ganon wasn't worried though. He hadn't expected Link to take a sacrificial hit just to attack him, but nonetheless he still had the upper hand. His plan was coming together nicely.
The pain finally subsiding a little, Ganon stood up and charged Link. Link dug his feet firmly into the ground and readied the Master Sword. Ganon came at Link with full force, bringing his sword down with all his might. Link blocked the attack, being pushed back slightly by the impact, and the two swords became locked together. It was now a show of strength, both Link and Ganon pushing against their swords with all their might trying to push the other back. In truth though, Ganon was only using half his strength while Link was giving it all he had.
With Link's arms beginning to shake from the stress, Ganon smiled and in an abrupt move released his sword from the embrace. Link still giving it all he had, he fell forward from the force he was exerting once Ganon's sword was released. Before he could fall flat on his face, Ganon punched Link hard in his chest sending him back the other way. Link let out a gasp of pain when he was punched that stayed until he fell flat on his back. With the wind knocked out of him, Link could only squirm about on the ground.
With a smile still on his face, Ganon picked Link up by the front of his tunic and brought his face right up to his own. Looking at the blank look of Link's face, Ganon tossed him with all his might into the side of the nearby boulder. Link slammed into the boulder and screamed out in pain. Before he even hit the ground though, Ganon teleported right up to him, kneed him hard in the gut, and as Link flew up into the air slightly from the impact, Ganon elbowed him hard in the back. Link then slammed hard face first into the ground.
Ganon didn't even bother to give Link a chance to get up himself. He grabbed the back of Link's head and picked his head up. Link's face was covered in dirt, and he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead. His eyes were half closed, and as Ganon stared in delight Link spit dirt out of his mouth. Satisfied with what he saw, Ganon slammed Link's face down hard back into the ground. Proceeding to kick Link several times in his side, Ganon then grabbed Link by the throat and lifted him up off the ground when he had kicked him onto his back.
"So much for the great Hero of Time," mocked Ganon as he began chocking the life out of Link and watching his face become lifeless. "Even if you're going to die in the process, you'll be the one to kill me huh? I'll admit you had me going there for awhile, and had I not stolen my father's powers I probably would've lost, but that's not the case. I've always been one step ahead of you Link, so what made you think anything would be different this time around? Hyrule is mine! Aaahhhhhhh, son of a. . ."
Ganon felt a sharp stabbing pain in his back and tossed Link to the ground. Reaching behind him, he removed a bloody double edged sword from his lower back. Staring in wonderment at the weapon, he quickly turned around to see who his attacker was and was struck dumb at the sight of Gerik's bloody, battered, and broken body standing there. Gerik was panting very slowly and heavily as he stood heavily on his left leg and was holding his broken right arm with his left hand. Gerik's expression was unreadable from all the blood and dirt covering his face, and Gerik was only staring at Ganon with a half opened left eye since his right eye was swollen shut. Blood was pouring out of every one of his numerous wounds and the ground underneath him was already soaked from the blood.
"I don't know how you're still alive," spat Ganon as he tossed Gerik's sword away, "but you should've stayed down. This time I'll make sure I finish the job and rid this world of your pathetic race once and for all."
Ganon tightened his grip upon his sword and rushed forward. Gerik saw him coming, but he couldn't do anything about it. He had used what little strength his body had left to save Link. He had nothing left to give. He knew that this was it for him, yet he accepted his death with tremendous bravery. Gerik straightened himself up as much as he could and closed his left eye as his thoughts drifted to Navi. As Gerik stood his ground, he soon felt the sharp, cold steel of Ganon's sword being thrust through his heart, and then nothing. Gerik's body immediately went limp; his last thought being of the first time he had ever laid eyes on Navi.
Link watched in horror as Ganon removed his sword from Gerik's limp and lifeless body causing it to collapse upon the ground like a sack of potatoes. While Ganon was busy laughing at his recent kill, Link felt the same rage from before swell up within him again. Willing his body to move, Link slowly stood up off the ground. With Ganon's back still toward him, Link began looking around frantically for the Master Sword. Ganon had tossed him all over the place that the sword could've been anywhere. If it had enough momentum when it was knocked from Link's hands it could even fallen off the mountain. Blocking that thought out of his head for the moment, Link quickly surveyed the area.
"One down and one to go," declared Ganon as he turned around to find Link standing once again. "What? Why won't you people just stay down?"
Ganon quickly ran toward Link, but Link heard him running and was able to sidestep Ganon's attack. With no sword in hand Link was at an extreme disadvantage. He had to stop his search for the Master Sword since he needed to keep both eyes on Ganon and just hope that he would come across it. Ganon swung his sword again and Link ducked, but Ganon stopped midswing and quickly brought his sword down. Link saw this surprise move and immediately performed a leg sweep to knock Ganon off balance. Ganon wasn't prepared for this and was knocked clean off his feet.
Knowing he had only a moment or two to spare, Link quickly back flipped several times to put some distance between Ganon and himself before Ganon could get back on his feet. As he waited for Ganon to make his next move, something told Link to look to his left. He did so and saw the Master Sword laying there upon the ground. Ganon saw this also and quickly fired an energy attack to knock the sword out of Link's reach. Link quickly jumped for the blade and managed to grab hold of the Master Sword's hilt just as the attack hit the sword. The back of Link's hand was scorched slightly from the attack, but he held onto the sword.
Ganon was furious. Thanks to Gerik Ganon had lost the momentum he had gained, and Link was once again in possession of the Master Sword. It also seemed that his killing of Gerik fueled that fires of rage in Link once again. Ganon was now going to have to tire Link out again before attempting to finish him off. Ganon then glanced over and saw the Triforce hovering there, waiting for the one who would make their wish upon it. It then occurred to him that he didn't have to kill Link first. If he could just slow him down, then Ganon could make his wish and nobody in the entire universe could stop him.
As Ganon pondered this, Link rushed forward with his old friend back in his hands. Ganon heard him coming and blocked Link's attacks one after another. Link was attacking with the same fury he was earlier, but something was different. Link's attacks were slower, and seemed to be more calculated. Ganon soon realized that Link wasn't fighting with the same blind rage he was earlier, yet he was using his rage to fuel his attacks. Tiring Link out wouldn't work this time, so Ganon had no choice but to just go full force.
Ganon blocked another of Link's swings and immediately teleported out of Link's reach. Ganon reappeared with his back toward Link, but when he turned around to face the charging Link he tossed several magic attacks at Link. Link blocked the one that was headed directly to him with his sword, but the remaining attacks slammed into the ground at Link's feet kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust. Link quickly shielded his eyes, and when the dust had settled back down seconds later he saw Ganon becoming enshrouded in a large black aura.
It didn't take long for Ganon to become completely enshrouded, after which the aura became a vacuum. It wasn't a strong vacuum, but it was able to disrupt the air around Ganon and suck toward it tons of dust and small loose rocks and pebbles. Staring at this menacing aura, Link knew that something big was up. For the aura to be drawing in energy like that, it could only mean that this attack was going to be a devastating one. Unfortunately, Link had never seen this type of attack before and wasn't sure of what to do. Link just stood there staring at the black aura with the Master Sword held tightly in his hands waiting for Ganon to make his move.
The vacuum around the aura soon stopped, and then the aura began to expand. With an ear-splitting pop, the aura exploded into hundreds of the same dark energy balls Ganon had been making throughout the battle. Link watched in shock as all the attacks came straight for him. He knew that he couldn't possible block them all, so he began to run for his life as the lead attacks came crashing down around him. As Link ran for his life the dark energy balls slammed into the ground in his wake kicking up tons of dust, rock, and other debris.
Though initially successful, the energy balls soon overtook him and cut off his escape. Stuck in one spot, Link just raised his sword in front of him and prepared for the worst as dozens of the dark energy balls came crashing down into him leaving a large cloud of dust in its wake. Ganon had been watching and laughing at Link's attempt to escape his attack and was now watching the cloud of dust to see the result. It took over a minute for the dust to settle just enough for anyone to see through it, and Ganon was happy at what he saw.
Link was laying face down on the ground, smoke rising off of his back. His tunic was now all in tatters, and his back was covered in cuts, bruises and burns. Ganon could see him still breathing, but for the time being he was out of the fight. With as many hits as Link took he should have died, but Ganon figured that the Master Sword, which was still clutched in Link's left hand unfortunately, had deflected most of the impact. Ganon now had a choice; either to kill Link or go make his wish upon the Triforce.
Not wanting to take any chances of someone interfering in his attempt to kill Link like the last time, Ganon just decided to make his wish now and kill Link later. Ganon sheathed his sword and then walked over toward the Triforce. As he walked toward it he basked in its glow. He had only laid eyes upon it once before, and soon after laying eyes upon it the Triforce broke apart. Now it was right in front of him, complete, and waiting for him to place his hand upon it and make his wish. Slowly, Ganon moved his right hand toward the Triforce savoring every second.
"Finally, ultimate power is within my grasp," beamed Ganon as he placed his hand upon the smooth surface of the Triforce. "I've waited for this moment for a very long time. Goddesses of the Triforce; hear that which I desire! I want aaahhhhhhh!"
Following an intense pain searing its way throughout his body, Ganon looked down at the blood spouting stump where his right hand used to be. Ganon's eyes were wide with shock as he looked down upon the ground and saw his bloody hand laying there. Ganon turned to his right and saw the Master Sword, with fresh blood upon it, sticking out of the ground and immediately turned to face Link. He was still on the ground, but Link's head was raised and looking at Ganon through bleary eyes and his left arm was extended out in front of him. Rage unlike anything he had felt before began to swell up within Ganon as he walked over to Link.
"You and your friends have interfered with my plans for the last time!" Ganon yelled as he walked, his bloody stump sealing itself by Ganon's magic. "I was going to let you live and make you my slave, but now you're dead! I will kill you and make my wish upon the Triforce once and for all."
As Ganon neared Link he drew his sword back out of its sheath with his left hand. Link knew that he was completely defenseless. The Master Sword was laying clear across the battlefield, and Link didn't have anything else to defend himself with. After the last attack Ganon had hit him with, he barely had enough strength to move, so dodging him was out of the question. He could maybe dodge once or twice, but after that he was done for.
As Ganon drew ever closer, Link reached out his left arm as far as he could almost as if he was trying to summon the Master Sword to him. He knew it was a futile attempt at best, but he didn't really have much choice in the matter. As Ganon finally reached Link and stood over him, Link noticed that the Master Sword was beginning to shake. Realizing that it was actually working, Link urged the Master Sword to come to him with all he had. As Ganon lifted his sword above Link and prepared to bring it down full force, the Master Sword flew out of the ground and into Link's awaiting hand. Without hesitation Link drove the Master Sword down into Ganon's foot.
Ganon screamed out in pain and dropped his sword. Even though the sword was only in his foot, Ganon's entire body felt like it was on fire. He was in so much pain that he could hardly move. Realizing that Link wasn't going to remove the blade himself, Ganon reached down and tried to grab the hilt of the Master Sword, but upon touching it Ganon's hand began to burn as if it had come in contact with acid. Ganon immediately let go of the sword and looked down at his now smoking and blistering hand. Ganon was stuck where he was until Link removed the sword.
Seeing the predicament Ganon was in though, Link had no intentions of removing the sword. Now that Ganon was stuck, Link could go and make his wish upon the Triforce. Link could make any wish he wanted; even bring someone back from the dead. Even though Link had the advantage at the moment, he still knew that he was no match for Ganon. Link's body was battered and bruised, and sooner or later Ganon would escape the grip of the Master Sword; even if Ganon had to hack off his own foot to do so, of which Link didn't think would be that far-fetched for Ganon. Link knew that he was going to need help, and he knew exactly where to get it.
Turning his head to look at Link, Ganon saw where Link was headed and began to worry. He couldn't allow Link to make a wish upon the Triforce. Ganon tried pulling his foot free, but it was to no avail. The Triforce was jammed down deep into the ground, so there was no way Ganon could wiggle the sword free from the ground. Becoming desperate, Ganon started forming a fireball in his hand. He was going to have to blow the Master Sword out of the ground.
The Triforce almost within reach, Link began limping as fast as he could to get there. As he did so, he could see Gerik's lifeless body laying on the ground not too far away. It was hard for Link to look at the body, but he couldn't turn away. As Link finally limped up next to the Triforce, Ganon fired his fireball at the ground and blew up the ground around his foot releasing the Master Sword from the ground and his foot from the Master Sword. Ganon fell to the ground after being released, black smoke rising off of his body. Link now reached out his hand and touched the Triforce, taking one last look at Gerik's body before turning to face the Triforce.
"Please forgive me Gerik," Link whispered before looking up into the sky above the Triforce. "Goddesses, please hear me! I wish for the six Sages of Hyrule to be revived with their full powers returned to them!"
"Noooooooo!" screamed Ganon as he rushed forward in a burst of speed that could rival Gerik and tackled Link several feet away from him.
Ganon quickly reached out for the Triforce hoping that Link's wish wasn't granted, but just as he was about to touch it the Triforce started floating up into the air. When it was far out of Ganon's reach, the three pieces of the Triforce split and launched in different directions into the night sky leaving a golden trail of light in their wake. Furious, Ganon gripped his sword tightly ignoring the searing pain of gripping something tightly in his burned and blistered hand and stormed over toward Link. Link was still on the ground after being tackled, and as he watched Ganon making his way toward him knew that this was finally it. Even though Link was about to die, he was glad that he had at least prevented Ganon from making his wish.
Standing over Link, Ganon raised his sword directly over Link's head. After what Link had just done, Ganon would've preferred to hold Link up with one hand and stab him in the gut with the other and watch him slowly bleed to death, but seeing as how Link had cut off his other hand that was impossible. Ganon was just going to have to settle for Link's quick end. Using all his might, Ganon brought his sword down. Link kept his eyes wide open through this, wanting to accept his death with both eyes open. Having only a few millimeters left before slamming down into Link's face, Ganon's sword stopped dead in its tracks.
Link was stunned by this, but soon realized that this wasn't Ganon's decision when he noticed that neither Ganon nor his sword was moving an inch. He then noticed that there was a faint blue glow surrounding Ganon. Sliding out from underneath Ganon's frozen sword and standing up, Link saw that Ganon could only move his eyes, of which Ganon was darting back and forth trying to uncover what had happened to him. Link then turned to look behind Ganon and saw the six Sages of Hyrule, all alive and with full powers apparently, standing there. Link's tired and battered face lit up with a smile at their sight.
"Link, thank you," said Rauru. "It's good to see you again."
"I never doubted that you would save us brother Link," shouted Darunia joyfully. "Now, together we shall destroy Ganon."
"No!" commanded Link. "You guys go down and help the others. Ganon is mine. It is my job to rid the world of his evil once and for all. This is something that I must do alone. Besides, the others need your help a lot more than I do."
"At least allow us to help you in some way," said Ruto concernedly. "Allow us to heal you, or take away the powers that Ganon stole from his father."
"Thanks, but no thanks. Ganon believes that he is unbeatable with his new found power, but he's wrong. I want him to be at his peak so that when I kill him there will be no doubt who is the better warrior. Now go! The others need your help. My victory here will mean nothing if everyone else is killed."
Reluctantly complying to Link's wishes, the Sages each nodded to Link one by one in acknowledgment of his wishes and then disappeared. Link watched each one of them as they did this, but as he did so he was also making his way over to where the Master Sword was laying on the ground. Rauru, the last Sage to leave, disappeared just as Link reached down and picked up the Master Sword. Once Rauru's body was fully gone, the blue glow around Ganon vanished. With Ganon's paralysis gone, Ganon's sword plunged down into the ground and Ganon almost fell forward. Yanking his sword from the ground violently, Ganon turned to find Link standing there holding the Master Sword out in front of him and waiting.
"You really are a fool Link," Ganon said as he got into a battle pose. "You should have accepted the Sages help when you could. You are weak, tired, and beaten while I still have plenty of strength left. Now you shall die for your ignorance."
"I don't think so Ganon," Link replied confidently. "Before I made my wish upon the Triforce I would've believed that, but no longer. The Master Sword did more damage to you then I would've ever thought possible. You are just as weakened and drained as I am, only you are trying to hide it while I am not. This is it Ganon. There's no more Triforce to distract us and no one left to interfere. It's just you and me. The fate of Hyrule will be decided here and now. Ganon! Your end is now!"
The battle between the Hyrulian Army and the Darknuts was a complete slaughter. In the short amount of time they had been fighting, the Darknuts had already decimated half of the Hyrulian Army and left dozens more seriously wounded. Even Navi had become wounded in the battle suffering a very nasty gash on her side which was bleeding profusely. Despite being told to retreat to the castle by many of her fellow warriors, and even King Hyrule, Navi continued to fight the Darknuts with everything she had. Meanwhile, the Darknuts hadn't even lost a hundred soldiers yet.
The fence that surrounded the castle moat had long been knocked down, and the Darknuts had pushed the Hyrulian Army all the way back to the moat itself. Several people had actually been knocked into the moat. The only place left to retreat to was within the castle itself, but to have to fight the Darknuts one on one within tight corridors was possibly the worst scenario anyone could think of. At least out in the field they could tackle the Darknuts groups at a time and had plenty of room to evade them.
King Hyrule was backed into a corner. If he ordered them to retreat to the castle they would be slaughtered, but if they stayed out in the field they would still be slaughtered. Either way they were doomed. Their only hope was Link, but there was no way of knowing what was happening on Death Mountain. As he pondered what to do, King Hyrule looked out upon the blood stained ground. About to give up all hope, King Hyrule turned toward the sky and saw the remains of a slowly fading golden trail of light. Wondering where the light had come from and why he hadn't noticed it before, King Hyrule jumped in surprise when three figures appeared out of thin air floating in the night sky. It was Rauru, Darunia, and Impa.
The three Sages just stood there floating in the sky and looking down upon the battle. They could not believe the bloodbath that was below them, and they could only assume that it was much worse inside Hyrule Market and out upon Hyrule Field. Looking at one another in turn, the three sages nodded to each other and then flew down toward the ground. Rauru flew over the entire battlefield casting a strong healing aura upon all of the Hyrulian warriors. While not relieving their fatigue or blood loss, his aura did seal up their wounds and mend anything that was broken. After healing those outside of the castle, Rauru headed inside the castle to heal the wounded within.
Darunia and Impa meanwhile headed straight for the Darknut forces. With a wave of their hands, the nearly impenetrable armor of the Darknuts broke and fell off of the Darknut warriors. In only a couple of seconds each and every Darknut lost every piece of armor they were wearing. The only defense they had now was their sword in one hand and their shield in the other, at least for those Darknuts who hadn't thrown it away during the fighting. With their armor now nothing more than broken metal upon the ground, the Darknuts began a hasty retreat.
"Now's our chance!" screamed King Hyrule. "Push forward!"
The Hyrulian Army, now feeling rejuvenated by this sudden turn of events, charged forward with the same ferocity that they had when they first charged the Darknuts. The only difference this time though was that they knew they could win. The Darknuts, knowing that they were nothing more than sitting ducks, just barely tried to fight back. They were more concerned with getting the hell out of there. The ferocity with which the Hyrulian Army was attacking them with was another reason for their not fighting back.
The battle had once again become nothing more than a slaughter, but this time it was the enemy that was being slaughtered. Darknuts were falling groups at a time, and the Hyrulian army showed no signs of letting up their attack. The Darknuts only hope now was to make it to the fiery inferno of Hyrule Market where at least one battalion of their fellow Arcanite warriors waited. They also hoped that the raging fires would narrow the field of battle and limit their losses as they retreated.
Their hope was not to come to fruition as Saria and Nabooru appeared in the sky over Hyrule Market. Together, they waved their hands over Hyrule Market and the giant, burning flames that consumed nearly all of Hyrule Market vanished in a puff of smoke. The Arcanites waiting inside Hyrule Market for news of their victory were shocked by the sudden disappearance of the fires. They were so shocked by the disappearance of the fires and at Saria and Nabooru floating up in the sky above them that the Arcanites didn't even notice the retreating Darknuts at first.
By the time the Arcanites realized that the Darknuts were armor-less and retreating, the Hyrulian Army had invaded Hyrule Market and began to lay out Arcanite bodies right next to their fellow Darknuts. The bewildered Arcanites tried to fight back and stop the Hyrulian Army's advance, but it was too late. The Hyrulian Army had the element of surprise on their side and had already killed most of the Arcanites inside Hyrule Market before they knew what had hit them. Realizing that they couldn't turn the Hyrulian Army's assault, they too turned tail and began running for their lives.
The main force of the Arcanites as well as the remaining Wizzrobes were all waiting out in Hyrule Field. Most of them were just sitting down on the rain and blood soaked ground waiting. They knew that since the Darknuts were fighting that this war would be over soon with them as the victors. The sound of nearby screams and yells caught their attention however, and most of them got up off the ground and looked over toward Hyrule Market trying to determine what was going on. The first thing that they noticed was that Hyrule Market was dark; that all the fires were gone. The second thing they noticed was Ruto floating above the frozen river.
With a quick wave of her hand, the river returned to its once vibrant flowing self, freeing all the Zoras that were trapped within. With the sound of rushing water now filling the night air, the Arcanites and Wizzrobes quickly ran around like headless chickens trying to arm themselves. They were soon greeted by at least one hundred razor sharp fins coming straight at them. The Wizzrobes were targeted first, nearly wiping out every last one of them. The few Wizzrobes that survived disappeared and never came back. Hundreds of Arcanites fell to the deadly fins before they were finally able to organize themselves and defend against the attacks. By this time though, the Zoras started making their way out of the river and toward the awaiting Arcanites.
At this same time the Darknuts and Arcanites retreating from Hyrule Market appeared on the scene. The first few groups of them went plunging directly into the river not knowing that it was no longer frozen. They were quickly taken care of by the Zoras who remained in the river. The rest of the retreating troops used the rubble that filled the river to make their way across and onto Hyrule Field, but their advance was slowed considerably. Their progress was also hampered by the Zoras in the river shooting their fins at the retreating troops.
The retreating Darknuts and Arcanites were now in real trouble. With a narrow exit and Zora warriors ready to attack them once they were through in front of them and a fierce Hyrulian Army behind, the Darknuts and Arcanites were being trampled. Realizing that they would never make it out of the city without being attacked, the Darknuts and Arcanites tried to put up a meager resistance, but it was soon broken and trampled by the onslaught of the Hyrulian Army. In just this one spot Ganon's army suffered one of the biggest losses of life in only a few measly minutes.
Those who managed to escape Hyrule Market with their lives didn't even bother to try and help their fellow Arcanite warriors fighting out in Hyrule Field. They just ran past all the fighting and headed back toward the Kokiri Forest. The Arcanites that were actually fighting saw this cowardice and became disgusted. Upon seeing the large and angry Hyrulian Army emerging from Hyrule Market though, they realized why their fellow warriors were turning tail and running away. They realized that it wasn't cowardice, but that they had lost the war. Not wanting to suffer anymore losses, the remaining fighters dropped their swords and ran for their lives.
The Hyrulian Army, upon reaching Hyrule Field, didn't give chase. They were exhausted from fighting all night, and they knew that they had won anyway. As the entire Hyrulian Army stood upon Hyrule Field watching the tattered remains of Ganon's army run back toward the Kokiri Forest and possibly back to the black ships that had brought them here, cries, yells, and cheers of victory could be heard among the battle-worn warriors.
Death Mountain had become dark once again now that the Triforce was gone, but Ganon and Link fought each other as if the light had never disappeared. The two of them were fighting each other with a ferocity unlike either of them had known before. There was a fire in both their eyes as they both parried and countered attacked each others attacks. Both of them were giving it all they had; they weren't holding anything back this time. Neither of them had ever fought so hard in their lives.
Link's and Ganon's attacks were becoming stronger and stronger with each hit. They were swinging their swords with so much strength now trying to finish each other off that the swords sparked upon impact. The echoing of their swords clashing reverberated in the air all around them. Their fight had almost become a slug match now, only they were using swords instead of fists. There were no more magic attacks; no more surprise maneuvers.
Summoning all the strength he had left, Link went on a major offensive. He started swinging his sword vertically at Ganon repeatedly, causing Ganon to raise his sword to block the attacks. With only one hand holding his sword though, each time Ganon blocked an attack his sword was lowered from its previous position. Finally, Link put everything he had left into one swing hoping to take Ganon out with it. Ganon blocked the attack, but his sword shattered upon impact sending Ganon falling to the ground. Ganon quickly tried to get up, but he only made it to his knees before Link placed the tip of the Master Sword against Ganon's neck.
"Go ahead then," Ganon taunted Link, "finish me off. Kill me if that is what you wish, but I don't think you have it in you. Sure you can kill some faceless nobody out on the battlefield, but you don't have the guts to look somebody in the face as you deliver the final blow. Go ahead, plunge that sword into my gut! Look into my eyes as I die! I know you want to!"
"Your words mean nothing to me Ganon," panted Link. "Your reign of terror is at an end. Though you do deserve a slow and painful death, I will not grant you one. If I reduce myself to that, then I am no better than you are. I will not let you have the last laugh. I win Ganon! You lose!"
As Link said those last words he swung the Master Sword and cut Ganon's head cleanly off of his body. Link watched as Ganon's head flew to the ground and began to roll. As his head rolled it began to disintegrate. Ganon's body, which had remained on its knees for a few seconds after having the head cut off, fell to the ground with a plop and started to disintegrate as well.
When Ganon's body was nothing more than dust upon the landscape, Link breathed out a sigh of relief and sheathed the Master Sword on his back. He then limped his way over to Gerik. Kneeling down next to his body, Link picked up Gerik's lifeless hand in his own. As he held it, several tears began to fall down his face. Sucking up his sorrow, Link got up and lifted Gerik's body onto his shoulders. As he prepared to make his way down Death Mountain with Gerik's body, Link turned toward the east and saw the first few rays of light beginning to peek over the horizon. A new day was about to dawn.