Warning: death, blood, and violence in this chapter. Also: long chapter.

COUNTING STARS

Chapter 37: Warrior

Tuesday, January 8th

Hyrule Castle looms ominously in the distance, its spires jutting up into the stormy sky. The central gate to the four outer walls has been reduced to piles of rubble, blasted inward by some godly force. Cracks line the stone walkways, while some structures have crippled to the ground entirely. The utter stillness and lifelessness of the once-magnificent edifice makes it appear spooky, creepy; like it has died and is now rotting away.

The bodies are the last thing I notice.

The knights lie motionless; most of them on the ground level, others up in the towers and barbicans. Hyrule Castle's squadron of knights are the most highly-trained military soldiers in the kingdom, stationed there to protect the king, his family, and the nobles who live inside its walls. And yet, they were no match for Ganondorf Dragmire and his Triforce of Power.

I stand up from my squatting position on the ledge of a faraway rooftop, moving the binoculars away from my eyes. I've seen enough.

I do not have a plan, nor do I intend to make one. All I know is that Zelda is in there waiting for me, in danger. And I'm going to go and kill everyone in there to get her back.

I feel at my back to make sure the Goddess Harp is still strapped in safely, and sure enough, my fingers brush against its cool, mysterious surface. When I free Zelda, she will need a weapon, of course. Hopefully I make it that far.

Breathing in slowly, I prepare myself for what could certainly be my final moments. Then, determined, I jump.

I roll at contact with the ground and resume my full sprint toward the Tri-District, heart hammering in my chest. Minutes later I arrive at the blown-in gate, and I slow to a stop. As I look up, the walls and spires seem much more enormous; I feel small, intimidated. Who knows what's in store for me inside? A chill runs down my spine, and my hand begins to throb—all three bearers are in one place for the first time. Clenching my fists, I walk through the gate and into the massive courtyard, keeping my eyes from wandering to a sight I wish not to see.

The courtyard is a wide area of stone brick pathways and four grass sections each spruced up with their own flowerbeds. In the center, a tall marble fountain spews water into its base. It would've been pretty if a dead body wasn't lying in the rippling waters, dying them a faded red from his blood. Beyond, the grand double doors to the foyer have been left open, and warm light spills out from the inside. It should've felt almost cozy in any other situation, but something about the archaic torchlight screams nothing but fire, doom and destruction. The rest of the castle's architecture consists of elegant craftsmanship and skilled stone-carving, which many admire as a testament to historical Hyrule's innate sense for art, but its grandeur at a time like this can only seem to feel intimidating, frightening, ominous.

My feet carry me through the desolation, my footsteps echoing loudly in the dead silence. Then, from within the castle, a sudden burst of wispy golden light pulses outward, passing through me and the entire site.

I stop and gasp, then look down at my hands. I feel nothing. Hm. Maybe I wasn't affected at all. Then what was that?

My ear twitches at a faint sound to my right. I turn, my eyes scanning the grassy courtyard. I only see ten bodies, all lying still.

Then, I finally notice what's happening: they're melting away. I watch in horror as the men's skin ripples with movement until it fades into nothingness, leaving only their skeletons in the shells of the knights. I draw my blade, taking a step back.

That's when, behind me, another sound draws my attention. I whirl around and stifle a gasp when a skeleton in full military gear and padding reaches for my neck with its bony fingers, a piercing red light glowing in each of its eye sockets. I leap out of the way, then evade a swipe from the opposite side.

Backing up to the fountain, I turn my head from side to side, breathing rapidly. Ten, fifteen, twenty skeletons hobble toward me from all directions. I'm surrounded.

I swipe my sword at the air, sending electric beams toward as many of them as I can, but all it does is stun them for a few seconds. The rest, however, have almost closed the distance.

BANG.

I watch as a skeleton's skull is blown to smithereens directly in front of me, and it cripples to the ground. Its bony brethren turn toward the sound of the gunshot. In their fallen comrade's place stands Dark, wearing a large black backpack, the barrel of his pistol smoking.

"So you thought you could do this all alone?" he calls out, brows furrowed.

"I mean, yeah."

I hear him scoff. "Please. You were about to get clapped by these stalfos."

Speaking of, the gang of stalfos decide to divide up their forces—half lurch toward Dark, and half toward me. I leap into action, finding ten much more managable than twenty.

"Hey Dark!" I call, ducking under the swipe of an arm and slicing at its ribcage.

"What?" Dark lets out a couple more shots, and two more skeletons drop in heaps of bones.

"You know how that stalfos you shot was directly between you and I?"

"Yeah?"

"Well—" I swipe the Master Sword at one's spine, severing its skull from its body. "What if the bullet went straight through?"

He shrugs, kicking and sending a stalfos toppling over before aiming the gun down at its skull. "Eh," he says carelessly. BANG. "You got shot yesterday. You would've been alright."

"Not if it was my head!"

"We all know it's hollow in there."

I cut down my third skeleton, then spin around and stab through another's skull. I yelp as one rakes its fingers across my back, then kick out behind me, turn, and swipe my blade through its spine.

Dark's movements are swift, yet stiff, much to the effect of wearing a clunky backpack in battle. He fells three more monsters before getting struck in the back of the head.

"OW! You little—!"

He turns toward the culprit, who hisses and swipes for him again. Dark catches its hand, snaps it off, then kicks the creature to the ground, stomping his foot into its ribcage before firing round after round at its skull, obliterating it. He fires and fires until the gun clicks a couple times, then stops.

He stares at the gun, frowning. "Huh."

I notice this from across the way, butting the hilt of my blade against one's forehead before jumping up and kicking its skull clean off its body. "Did you just waste all your rounds on one stalfos?"

"It was being a dick!"

I roll my eyes, cutting down two more with ease. Between the both of us, only four skeletons remain. Two of them chase after the now-unarmed Dark, who yelps and dashes over to me. The other two lunge toward me, each of them coming from all four directions. I wind up my sword arm.

"Duck!" I order Dark, whose eyes widen; he slides under me as I slash my sword in a wide spin, cutting through each of the stalfos simultaneously. Now halved, each skeleton cripples to the ground, unmoving.

I heave a couple breaths, sheathing my sword and turning to Dark, irked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Dark pouts. "Oh, gee, I dunno. Helping you?!"

I frown.

"I really don't know why you thought coming here alone was a good idea, Link. Are you trying to let Ganondorf win?"

"I'm not letting him get to anyone else," I answer through gritted teeth, narrowing my eyes. "Now get out of here. I'm serious."

"So am I!" he shouts. "You're being old Link again."

I ignore him, eyes flicking down to a fallen stalfos and the pair of handcuffs on its vest. Suddenly I get an idea—I bend down and swipe them, then look back up at Dark. Luckily he doesn't question it. Instead, he starts to walk up to me.

Fed up, I turn and storm away from him, toward the castle. "Stay here!"

"No!"

I hear his footsteps close behind me as I approach the stone stairs. I climb up them and thunder into the grand foyer when he grabs me by the shoulder, spinning me around. I whack his arm away, glowering.

"Link, just listen to me," he pleads, the torchlight reflecting in his wide eyes. "I know how much this means to you, but you're not thinking straight. I never had the chance to stand beside you against Yuga. Let me do that now."

I look at him, staying quiet.

"You're my brother," he says. "I would die for you, Link."

I hold his gaze, the serious glare still creasing my brow. Then, I sigh.

"I know."

And, with catlike quickness, I strap a handcuff to his wrist and attach the other end to the long handle bound to the heavy door.

"That's why you aren't coming with me."

He stares at me, bewildered, jaw falling unhinged. His eyes flick between my own and the door he is now stuck to.

"Are you serious right now?"

"Dead serious."

"Appropriate response, since you're literally going to die up there."

"Good to know you believe in me."

"You're gonna leave me here to die, then," he says, shaking his head in disbelief. "After all we've been through."

"You'll find your way out. If not, well, you're immortal."

Dark narrows his eyes at me. Never before have I seen him exhibit such shock, anger, and disappointment toward me; it almost makes me feel bad. But no. My mind is made. I'm going alone.

I turn away from him, but he stops me.

"Hey."

We lock eyes.

"Take this backpack off me," he says, gesturing with his shoulder. "There's something I was supposed to give you."

I raise an eyebrow, unsure if this is an attempt at an escape or not. I walk up to him and remove the big bag from his back while he stands there motionless, just staring at me. After unzipping the pack I pull out a large metal object—a shield.

Looking up at him, I frown.

"From Rauru," Dark explains. "It's the Hylian Shield. The same one in the legends."

I turn it over, studying its face—its deep blue backdrop, the golden Triforce near its top, the Hylian crest in a vibrant scarlet, and silver accents. I turn it back over and run my arm through the two straps, gripping it with my left hand. It fits perfectly, like it was made for me.

Then again, it kinda was.

I share one last wordless glance with Dark, then turn and break off into a full sprint. Well, it was almost wordless.

"You're missing out!" he hollers after me. "I sneezed on my knuckles before this so I could inflict poison damage! You need me!"

The foyer is an extravagant showing of Hyrule's wealth, built up of intricate stone-carved architecture and complete with detailed paintings and portraits of the royal family, golden trinkets and decorations, a lavish chandelier, and a red carpet that covers the checkered-tile flooring. An archway straight ahead leads to the sanctum, a place I had already been. Ganondorf, undoubtedly, will be waiting in the throne room. Now it's time to find it.

Two staircases border the archway, curving outward and leading up to a balcony that splits off into more halls. I dart up the right set of steps, then pick the middle hallway. Suits of armor line each wall of the short corridor, all wielding steel halberds. I rush toward the arched wooden door at the end of the hall, then push. It doesn't budge—locked. Growling, I lower my shoulder and charge through it, busting it down and sending splinters flying.

I emerge in an identical room, minus the suits of armor. I freeze, then, when a set of metal bars slides down and blocks the door ahead.

That's when the skeletons fall from the ceiling, tackling me to the floor and hissing in my ear, tearing at my clothes and skin. My grip loosens on my blade, and it clatters to the floor and skids off to the side. My shield arm is pinned down by a stalfos' body, and it reaches its teeth out toward me, snapping hungrily. I punch it, splitting the skin on my knuckle, then punch it again, giving me space to free my shield arm. I then lift the Hylian Shield and slam it into its skull, cracking it and sending the stalfos flying.

The other digs its fingers into my abdomen, right across the scar of my gunshot wound. I yelp in pain, then muster the strength to kick it away, scrambling to my feet.

I turn my head to see the first stalfos charging at me, carrying the Master Sword and preparing to strike. My eyes widen and I hide behind my shield, but the strike never comes. I take a peek, curious, when I see the blade fall back to the floor in a pile of ash, the stalfos all but disappeared.

I suppose monsters cannot wield the Blade of Evil's Bane. Makes sense.

The other stalfos screeches and dashes toward me, swiping for my head. I duck under it, evade a followup attack, then bash my shield into its skull, stunning it. I slide over to my sword, the stalfos in hot pursuit. As soon as I lace my fingers around the hilt, I spin around and lop its skull clean off its body. The creature collapses in a pile of bones, defeated.

I catch my breath, heart rate at a dangerous high. Wiping the bead of sweat from my brow, I trudge onward, seeing the set of bars lift up from the door ahead.

I proceed into a much colder hallway with two doors on either side wall, one blocked off with metal bars, and one reduced to rubble. The demolished door leads outdoors, letting in the winter chill. I hurry out that way, following Ganondorf's trail.

Once outside, I emerge on a bridge to one of the tall spires, which appears to be completely undamaged. To my right, the bridge spirals up around the main castle building. I go that way, thinking the throne room is probably near the top.

Around the corner, I spot a beheaded skeleton lying with its back against the wall. The only reason it isn't attacking me, it seems, is because Ganondorf had ripped this poor knight's head off already. I shiver, suddenly feeling sick. Shaking it off, I continue up the curved path until reaching the level above the door I came out from. The path ends there, and I enter the door leading back inside.

I step into a dark, foul-smelling chamber. Only a single torch on the left end of the room lights my path; the bloodstains on the walls flicker in and out of vision. I tread forward carefully, blade drawn, shield upraised. Something isn't right.

Off by the lone torch, a staircase continues up to another room. I head that way, hoping to get out of here as soon as possible.

My ear twitches. I heard something.

A footstep.

Immediately, I whirl around and slice my blade horizontally. The figure leaps back, my sword only catching air. In the firelight, I can make out that arrogant smirk, that long white hair.

"Well, well." Ghirahim smiles wickedly, licking his lips.

My grip tightens, and I grit my teeth so hard I might shatter them. This guy is the reason the gang found out who I am. He is the reason Agahnim came to Hyrule Academy and took Zelda. In my state of fury, it takes all my willpower not to rush forward right away and rip out his throat.

I've held back before. Not today.

"You."

He laughs, only increasing my anger tenfold. "I couldn't wait to see the look on your face. What passion! What rage!"

I take slow steps toward him.

"I will kill you."

Ghirahim cocks his head to the side, skeptical. "Oh, but you will not. I know your ways, Hero. You'll just severely maim me and wait for the cops to come take me away, like always. Well guess what? I'm not going anywhere, because my lord is not losing."

He flips his hair, laughing again.

"When are you going to learn that being a hero doesn't get you anywhere?" he continues. "You never had the heart to kill, and look where that got you."

I think back to the time I had killed Sakon to protect Zelda. It had crippled me; I nearly went insane. There is some truth to Ghirahim's words, then. I never had the heart to kill.

"But I do now."

Ghirahim rolls his eyes, emitting a "Pfft."

I resume my slow approach, my eyes locked with his.

He takes a very subtle step backward; most wouldn't have noticed, but I did. He scoffs. "Then let's dance."

With a snap of Ghirahim's fingers, a pair of stalfos leap down from above, both wielding ceremonial blades. Ghirahim takes out a pistol and fires, but I deflect the bullet with my shield and block a slice from the nearest skeleton, following up with a stab to the ribcage. I spin and block another strike, then slice its sword hand clean off its arm before kicking the monster away.

Having cleared enough space, I turn to Ghirahim and rush him down, dodging out of the way of his terrible aim. Once close enough I knock the pistol out of his hand, sending it clattering off into the corner, then pull my sword arm back for a fatal stab.

The one-handed skeleton latches onto me before I can end him, clawing at me with five fingers and sinking its teeth into my shoulder. I yelp in pain, fighting its grip while Ghirahim slides out of reach towards the nearest weapon; he pries the dismembered skeletal hand from the hilt of the ceremonial sword, then charges back toward me.

I finally throw the monster off of me and lop its skull off, then turn just in time to parry Ghirahim's stab. I slice diagonally, cutting across his torso and drawing blood. He cries out and leaps backward, touching his fingers to the fresh wound.

The other stalfos leaps toward me with its blade held high—an easy punish. I roll to the side as it lands, then sever its spine and reduce it to a pile of ash.

Now it's just me and Ghirahim.

He breathes heavily, holding his soaked hand to his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Heh," he begins, smirking at me. "This is nothing."

I close the distance between us and unleash a barrage of attacks, not holding back. He deflects each of them at the last possible second except for the last, a combo of a feint and a stab to the shoulder. Ghirahim howls as I rip the blade out of his flesh, and more blood pours from his body.

"You're not allowed to kill me," I tell him in a low voice, seeing the fear in his eyes. "But no one's stopping me from killing you."

I wind up and swing my blade with devestating force; Ghirahim barely has the strength and time to lift his own up to block it. Instead, the Master Sword cuts straight through his chinsy weapon, and it shatters in his hand, leaving only the useless hilt.

Ghirahim's eyes fall to his broken blade, and he scoffs petulantly, shaking his head.

"Is this the part where you tell me it isn't personal?"

I drive my blade straight through his chest, all the way to the hilt. His eyes grow wide as they find my own, his mouth falling open in surprise.

"It is personal."

His eyelids flutter open and closed as he strains to find his voice to cry out in pain, but it dies out within him. I kick his body and watch it slide off my blade, leaving a trail of wet scarlet on its once-pristine surface. My old classmate collapses onto the tile floor in a pool of blood, dead.

I feel no remorse. Just pure rage and ambition.

With that, I continue on my path to the throne room, dashing up the staircase on the other end of the room. Rubble clutters my path from the cracked ceiling above; sections of the stone steps are even gone completely, leaving a huge chasm down to the lower floors of the castle below. Ganondorf's path of destruction is certain to spread all across Hyrule, lest I stop him here today.

After ascending the broken staircase I emerge in a curved room with stained glass windows letting in light from the outside. More rubble clutters the red-carpeted floor as a result of the broken ceiling and parts of the walls, which bring in a flow of frigid winter air. Tapestries hang on either side of the archway ahead, which houses another staircase.

It's quiet, save for the breeze whistling through the cracks in the stone brick. I hurry forward, then stop in the middle of the room, suddenly feeling my neck tingle—I'm being watched.

I turn right as the stained glass windows shatter in a storm of flying glass, and swinging inside is another pair of stalfos. I duck and shield myself from the shards as the two converge on me, baring their teeth and staring at me with those piercing red eyes. I duck under a swipe and leap backward, squinting.

The first skeleton is just that of a regular knight. But the other...

Its attire is much baggier, though torn across the torso, and must've belonged to someone who was heavier-set. An elegant robe is draped over its shoulders and down to its feet, a deep blue hue with gold lining and cuffs. Across its waist is a loose belt with a golden buckle bearing the Hylian crest. In its bony hand, the stalfos carries half of a once-intact crown, and it approaches me with the sharp end upraised.

This is the skeleton of King Gustaf.

My eyes widen in shock, and I nearly get bludgeoned to death by the other stalfos' midieval flail; I roll out of the way just in time. I block another swing of the flail and counter with a slice at the legs. It collapses, now dismembered, and claws toward me with its arms. I crush its skull under my boot, then focus on the fast approaching king.

It swipes for my head with the sharp gold crown; I duck underneath and kick at its feet. The skeleton leaps aside and charges again, swinging again. I cover with my shield and wince at the high-pitched squeak the crown makes scratching across its surface, then swing the Master Sword at its midsection. It clangs loudly against a cloaked chestplate and my attack bounces right off, leaving me open. The dead king stabs at my neck, but I tumble backwards to avoid it, landing on my back.

Gustaf's skeleton closes in on me, hissing and holding the broken crown high. I jump to my feet and deflect its attack with the Hylian Shield, slicing at its skull and just clipping its jaw, severing one end of the mandible. Now, with its jawbone dangling off to the side, the dead king only looks even more terrifying.

The regal stalfos emits a screech and launches into another flurry of attacks, all blocked by my shield; and yet all my counterattacks are blocked or evaded. At last, the dead king makes a wrong move, biting on one of my feints, and I punish it with a devastating swipe at the neck.

The skull falls to the ground, cracking, and the rest of the bones clatter to the carpet in a heap of blue robes. The broken crown skids over to my boot, and I stare down at it gloomily.

This is what the kingdom has come to.

I step around the mess and continue through the curved room, heading up the next staircase and into the next chamber.

There, the wide, square room houses another checkered-tile floor with a long red carpet leading up to a grand double-door archway, framed on either side with long blue tapestries. More suits of armor line the walls to my left and right, alternating with the torch-lit quartz columns. Guarding the doors is a large man with his back turned, adorned in red robes.

"You recover quickly."

I set my jaw and step forward; in response, Agahnim waves a hand, summoning another set of iron bars to slam down behind me and block any escape. This man is a powerful warlock, or so I've always heard of him, and yet I've never seen him use his true power.

"You were just too afraid to kill me."

At that, Agahnim turns, appearing to smile under that half-mask he's always worn. "Believe me, Hero," he rasps, "I wanted to."

I continue forward, slowly, my body now completely healed from the nicks and bruises I'd earned from fighting all the stalfos. I feel the energy reserves within me begin to refill, and my fingertips tingle with power.

"Beyond these doors are the other two pieces to the godly puzzle," Agahnim proclaims, gesturing behind him with one arm. "In there you and your precious girl will meet your fates. In the meantime, I was given orders to beat you within an inch of your life. Then send you in to die."

"He's just using you as his slave," I tell him. "There's no point in putting up a fight. I'll kill you just like Ghirahim."

"My purpose is serving my master. As long as I weaken you, I will gladly make that sacrifice."

I summon the electricity, feeling it course through my system until traveling through my fingers and into the blade, illuminating its steel surface in a bright blue glow.

"So be it."

Dark waited at the entrance to Hyrule Castle. Many conflicting emotions warred in his mind: betrayal, anger, impatience, worry, fear. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the handcuffs; he even tried breaking his thumb to free his hand, like they do in the movies, but even then he wasn't successful. Damn Hyrule Castle and its military-grade equipment.

Now he was all alone in a stalfos-infested castle, stuck to a door with a broken thumb.

He took it upon himself to count the bricks in the walls in front of him while he waited for help to come. Then again, Dark never went to school, so he couldn't figure out what came after the letter seven.

After around thirty minutes have passed since Link abandoned him in the foyer, there were still no signs of anyone coming to help. He'd called Sheik right after Link left; Dark wondered what was taking him so long. Maybe he was gathering the other members of the resistance.

The thought comforted him for another ten minutes or so, until his heightened senses were alerted to some faint sounds from a couple rooms away, seeming to be approaching. His eyes narrowed into slits, focusing on the shadows under the diverging staircase ahead.

He saw them, then. Three figures; one woman, one skinny man in loose robes, and one absolute giant.

Dark froze, heart thudding in his chest. Oh boy. If Sheik didn't come quickly, Dark would die again, and be sent back home to the dark world—sure, he could come back, but he'd lose another few inches to his height. That was not a risk he was willing to take.

He started to pull on the door handle with all his might, gritting his teeth and hissing at the pain in his hand. He surmised he only had a couple of minutes before the three gangsters would reach him, and he was stuck to this door with no way to defend himself.

The handle wouldn't budge. Panicking, Dark did his best to blend in with the door, pressing his back up against it, praying that they wouldn't spot him. It was a poor attempt, but the only option he had.

When they reached the foyer, they saw him immediately.

"It's the shadow boy!" hollered Zant's high-pitched voice.

"Hm?" grunted the giant.

"No. Way." Veran cackled, walking up to Dark. "I hope this is a trap. Otherwise you are a complete idiot."

Dark raised a brow, smirking. "What if it is?"

The largest of the three stomped over, seeming to leave craters where he stepped. Onox stared down at him with a brutish sneer. "It is no trap. You wouldn't have said that if it was."

Dark sagged his shoulders, thwarted. "Yeah, you're right."

"Ha!" cried Zant, poking him in the forehead. "Idiot!"

"Like it was my fault!" Dark countered, gesturing with his chained hand and limp thumb. "Link did this to me 'cause he wanted to go alone."

"Aw, you poor thing," Veran cooed with pouty lips.

"What are we going to do with him?" Zant asked eagerly, touching his fingertips together in anticipation.

Onox shrugged. "Shoot him."

"No, no, wait—" Veran raised a finger. "He's a shadow being. If we kill him, he just gets sent back to the dark world. He's practically immortal."

Dark refrained from informing her that a gruesome enough death could, in fact, kill him for good.

"But," continued the woman, "if we use some of the magic Lord Ganondorf gave us, we can control him. Make him our slave."

Dark's eyes widened. Not again. This was the very reason Dark was terrified of the M.O.D. in the first place—all those months ago, when he escaped Ganondorf's first monster portal and refused to serve him, he'd been hunted down relentlessly. Of course, he ended up being enslaved by Yuga in the end, anyway. The worst time of his long life was losing that free will. He would rather die than have it taken away again.

Zant's tiny lips curled into a smile. "I like that idea." He stepped toward him, his face inches away from Dark's. "It's what you get, you little snake. Nobody refuses my master."

Dark cringed, moving his face away. He thought about biting at one of his eyeballs, but he didn't have the stomach to do that. So instead he just spat in the man's ugly face.

Zant didn't even flinch or wipe it off.

Dark was thoroughly disturbed. He'd known how crazy Zant was; of the three criminals in front of him, he was definitely the most unstable and volatile. Zant was Midna's long-lost older brother, disowned by their parents after murdering a classmate in the third grade. In court, his lawyer pleaded insanity was the cause for the murder. He was sentenced to no prison time, but was forced to live out the remainder of his life in an insane asylum, which he escaped at age eighteen before joining the M.O.D. years later.

Zant finally backed away, his beady eyes never leaving Dark's.

That's when, of all things, a pineapple hurtled through the air and socked him right in the side of the head, knocking him to the floor.

Dark gasped and turned, hope in his eyes.

Mido, Mikau, Pipit, Karane, Midna, Groose, and Ralph stood upon the steps leading up to the double doors, all wearing the bulletproof vests and gear of the fallen knights in the courtyard, wielding baseball bats and golf clubs. Sheik stood at the forefront, armed with another pineapple.

Dark blinked. "Nice weapon choice!" he called out.

"I picked up the first thing I could get my hands on," said Sheik defensively. "I couldn't find my gun, alright?"

Dark bit his lip. "Erm—About that..."

Zant rose to his feet and rejoined his allies, eyes narrowed at the group of teens. He unstrapped the machete from his belt, licking his lips in preparation. Onox growled, pulling out his rifle. Lastly, Veran's hands flashed purple with dark magic, and she lifted her arms to take aim.

"Damn kids..." she cursed.

"Hey big dog!" called Ralph, his hands flashing red. He raised his arms and aimed at Onox, whose rifle glowed scarlet before being yanked out of his grip and thrown behind the group, clattering onto the stone path of the courtyard.

The rest of them charged, bellowing pubescent battle cries.

Dark watched as the battle began, completely helpless. But, at least he was entertained.

Agahnim lifts his arms and brings forth a column of dark matter that nearly engulfs me entirely. I leap to the side and roll on the ground, throwing a beam of electricity back at him. The old man deftly spins away from my attack, the edge of my bolt singing off an end to his red robe.

He points his gnarled hand at me again, a ball of darkness forming in his palm, and throws it my way.

This time, I stand my ground and swing my blade at the orb, sending it flying back to the warlock. It connects with his chest and he grimaces, falling to one knee.

I rush him down, swinging my blade for his neck. Quickly, he kicks at my knee, causing me to stumble and miss, then fires a beam of black magic. I move to block it with my shield, but I'm knocked back a few steps by its sheer force. Agahnim flicks his hand downward, and his whole arm becomes wrapped in flowing, swirling dark energy. He bellows and sprints toward me, winding up and throwing a massive punch. I barely have time to block it, but the magnitude of the attack sends me flying back into the wall, slamming against the hard bricks.

I sag to the floor, dizzy and gasping for air, the wind knocked out of me.

Not relenting, Agahnim throws out another beam of darkness that I struggle to roll away from. Surely by now I've taken too much damage to fire any beams of my own. He's just zoning me out—I need to get closer.

As I stagger to my feet, Agahnim lifts his arms again, sending another column of black matter my way. I dash around it, swinging back another flying orb, then slide underneath a horizontal beam before leaping to my feet and stabbing at his gut. The warlock's magic-infused arm deflects my blade with ease, but I maintain the offensive—I swipe at his neck and catch him with the follow-through as he rolls away, then bash his dark arm with my shield and create an opening to slice at his chest. He takes the hit and growls, again trying to create distance between us.

I don't let him. I continue to swing my blade at him, continuing to back him into the corner, until he has nowhere to retreat. Finally, he's had enough of this pressure. Agahnim dips down and shoulder-checks me with his massive arm, knocking me down.

The warlock holds his hands out in front of him, emitting a growing bellow as a larger and larger ball of black matter forms at his fingertips. I scramble to my feet right as he lets another devastating beam of darkness fly—I root my feet to the ground as the unparalleled levels of power connect with my shield. I grimace, letting out a strained cry as the burst threatens to wear down my strength to nothing. I should've been blown straight through the castle, yet I'm still standing.

The golden light from my sword hand gradually grows stronger, its heavenly glow brightening the chamber in a blinding yellow-white. With it, I feel my strength increasing, my willpower reaching new maximums. Slowly, through much exertion, I take a step forward. Then another. Then a pair more.

Then I'm walking at normal speed towards the warlock, driving back his beam. I reach him, shoving the Hylian Shield into his outstretched hands, interrupting his comprehensive spell, and staring into his shocked eyes as I stab the Master Sword through his heart.

He blinks repeatedly, clinging onto life, mouth twitching as he sags to his knees. I rip my blade out from him, and he falls back onto the tile floor, staring up at me in defeat.

I look down at him in disdain.

"I lost everything," I tell him slowly through gritted teeth, trembling above him. "Then I found my purpose. And you took it away again."

His breathing becomes more labored, and his eyes start to glaze over.

"Hah... hah-hah..."

My eyes widen, and my heart spikes with rage. Was that a laugh?

Agahnim's eyes fall shut, but I can see the crinkle of a smile on his ashy face.

"Save the speech..." he croaks. "I served my purpose. You... already lost. You cannot... beat him."

I watch as the life fades from the old man's eyes.

Steeling myself, I stand up straight, turning to face the grand double doors that lead to the throne room. My Triforce hand throbs and burns. In there, Zelda waits for me.

Ganondorf Dragmire awaits as well.

It's poetic, almost, how our fates managed to cross. Ganondorf murdered the only family I had left in a brief skirmish after a chance encounter with me at a convenience store. I moved to the city to hunt him down, where I met the love of my life, who happened to become the third piece to this fateful puzzle. And now, she's being held captive, powerless, waiting for me to come save her. Zelda never deserved this. My uncle never deserved this. Curse the gods for making it play out this way.

Since that fateful night, this is everything I've ever wanted, I find myself thinking. Farore, Uncle Rusl... lend me your strength.

I tighten my grip the hilt of my blade, intake a breath of preparation, then push the double doors open.

Dark studied his fingernails while the battle raged on. He yawned as he looked up to watch—Ralph was engaged in a magic battle with Veran, Mikau and Mido danced around Zant's careless swipes of the machete, Sheik was clubbing Onox with his fruit. Other notable friends were in the middle of it all, swinging at openings between the three criminals.

He ducked as one of Veran's black orbs flew toward his head, and it splashed harmlessly against the door. Dark sighed, wishing someone could help him out of his little predicament already. He was utterly uncomfortable, with the cuff's stiff metal starting to rub painfully against his wrist.

"Hey Mid!" he called over the commotion.

Midna blocked a swipe from her crazy brother, who seemed most intent on targeting her. "Little busy right now, Dark!"

"You wanna get dinner after this?"

She blocked another slice with her baseball bat, then Mido came in and whacked him in the forehead with his driver. Midna turned, then yelped as one of Onox's meaty fists connected with her shoulder, and she stumbled back, bumping into Pipit and Karane as they were helping Ralph fend off Veran by providing up-close pressure.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Dark continued. "What sounds good to you? I'm thinking Mod Pizza. I dunno why—I've just been craving it lately."

By the time Zant recovered from his daze and looked up, Groose—in full football gear, his pompadour sticking up out of the facemask—slammed into the thin man with brutish force, knocking the machete out of his grip and sending it flying through the air.

Dark shrieked as the blade lodged itself in the door, right next to him. He looked at it, then looked at the handcuffs that chained him to the handle. Dark's eyes lit up. Stretching out, Dark reached for the weapon, his fingers just barely able to graze the pommel, but not enough to grip it.

Meanwhile, Groose had Zant pinned to the ground, punching him repeatedly until the man's head lolled to the side, knocked out. The oaf turned, then, just in time to be met with a black orb from Veran—the impact sent him all the way to the staircase, where he landed on his back, groaning.

Wincing, Ralph called out to the bigger redhead, "Sorry! I let one get away there."

"Nnnrgh..."

The criminals were skilled fighters, that was for sure. Onox's brute strength coupled with Veran's finesse and sorcery proved to give the teens some fits. But even against high school kids armed with sports equipment and a pineapple, numbers could play a huge factor. And now that it was two on eight—or rather seven, since Groose appeared to need a little breather—the odds seemed to swing in the resistance's favor.

Veran released a barrage of magic bursts for Pipit and Karane, but Ralph summoned a translucent red wall before them, blocking her attacks. The two golf club wielders swiped at her, landing a couple hits before she released a pulse of magic that knocked them backward. She turned her focus toward Ralph, firing another projectile his way. He aimed his hand at the purpley-black ball of energy and suspended it in the air, then waved his hand to throw it back at her. She cried out as it hit her in the chest, stunned, then Pipit wound up and swung his club straight into her head.

"Fore!" he yelled as the witch fell to the ground, unconscious; Karane laughed.

On the other side of the room, Mikau, Mido, Sheik, and Midna surrounded Onox, swarming him with attacks from all angles. One of them would take the occasional hit from the big bruiser, but for most of the exchange all he could do was spin around clumsily while getting bombarded with dull blows.

Sheik ducked beneath a cloddish swing and slammed his pineapple into the man's face, breaking it. Fruit exploded everywhere, the citric acid getting into his eyes. Onox yelped and frantically wiped them, leaving himself wide open.

"Ralph, catch!" hollered Pipit, tossing his golf club into the air.

The redhead aimed his glowing hands at the object, which flashed red and stopped in midair. Ralph moved his arms away, the others watching in awe as he wound up the driver, then swung it back with super speed and clubbing Onox in his thick skull, crippling him to the floor.

The teens sagged their shoulders in collective relief, catching their breath. Over by the diverging staircase, Groose staggered to his feet, holding a hand to his bruised chest.

"Damn," Sheik breathed, looking around at his friends. "Good work, guys. Now to go help Link."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dark protested, flailing his chained arm. "You're not going anywhere till you get me outta these!"

Groose hobbled over to the rest of them, making his way up to Dark. "I'll help you, emo Link guy."

Raising an eyebrow, Pipit questioned, "How did you end up like this, Dark?"

"Link did it. He refused to let me help. Hey—!"

Groose ripped the handle clean off of the oak door, leaving Dark chained to the long metal rod.

"There's a machete right there!" Dark complained. "You could've used it to cut the chain!"

Groose grinned mischievously. "Yeah, well, I wanted that." He moved over to the blade, gripped the hilt, and yanked it out of the door, turning it over in his hands a couple times. "And I couldn't leave you without a weapon, so there. You've got yourself a little flail."

Dark frowned. "This is lamest weapon I've ever seen—and I've fought bokoblins with a selfie stick." He swung it a few times experimentally, then shrugged and sighed. "Whatever. I shall call it... the Master Flail."

The others grinned.

"Well," said Karane, "what're we waiting for? Time to go help Link and Zelda."

"You know..." Sheik looked beyond, off into the depths of the castle. "Something tells me they'll be quite alright."

Dark looked at him, pondered, then nodded. "Same here."

"What, are we supposed to just leave them there?" Pipit scoffed, folding his arms. "I could never live with myself if they died!"

The others murmured in agreement, and Dark sighed. "Guys, wait..." His shift in tone caught the group's attention. "I hate it too, but there's really nothing we can do up there. If we go rushing in, we'll all probably die. This is a fight between demigods—there's no place for regular people like us. And if Ganondorf wins... then that's just how it was supposed to go down."

Midna's face saddened. "What are you saying?"

"We can either go up there and be killed, regardless of who wins," Dark explained, "or we can stay here and leave the battle to the superhumans, like Link wanted. If Ganondorf wins, everyone dies. And that's a fact. But if Link and Zelda win—then, well... none of us die."

The group mulled his words over, reluctant to stand idly by while their friends engage in a fight to the death with an evil, ultra-powerful maniac.

But, in the end, they decided to honor Link's pleas.

They stayed in the foyer, praying for their friends to prevail.

My footsteps echo on the marble flooring of the elegant throne room. Its domed ceiling towers overhead, with arched glass windows segmenting its scarlet-painted construction. Two symmetrical marble statues of lance-wielding paladins are stationed up on the ledge where the dome begins, the tips of their spears pointed up toward the very center. The enormous circular chamber boasts columns of intricate carvings around its circumference, and red banners are hung on the walls between each of them, all bearing the proud golden crest of Hyrule. Halfway into the room, two separate red-carpeted staircases hug the perimeter of the chamber until connecting at the back end of the room, where the grand throne looms, looking out over the balcony the staircases created.

Above the throne, at the forefront of the bright glass arches, a huge golden Triforce is hung, framed on either side with more marble statues, this time a pair of proud wyverns. In the middle of the three huge triangles, a large amber crystal floats suspended in midair, unmoving. And, trapped inside of its translucent walls, is Zelda.

And sitting just below it, on the tall throne of Hyrule Kingdom, is Ganondorf Dragmire.

His lips are wrought into a smug smirk as he rests his chin on his fist, his locks of red hair billowing out behind him. Adorned in an archaic suit of armor, the King of Evil looks as though he were plucked straight from a book of the legends and dropped into our world today.

The man's relaxed composure and arrogant demeanor really sets me off. He treats this moment as if it means nothing, as if he knows for certain that he will win, and that it's simply bothersome that he must exert any effort to get what he desires in the first place. His cocky, confident sneer just taunts me, as if the things he has put me through mean nothing. Murdering my uncle, keeping a constant target on my back, kidnapping the love of my life. I want to rip that sneer right off his face. My blood boils with fury.

As I approach the center of the room, Zelda looks up and catches sight of me, a tiny gasp escaping her lips. She puts her fingers to the face of the crystal, hope shining in her eyes.

I stop in the middle of the room, and Ganondorf speaks.

"How kindly the gods have treated me."

His voice boomed with power, but it had no tone of shouting. Ganondorf sits up straight, lips curling into a smile.

"It was all so easy. Since running into you those few months ago... everything I have ever planned has come to fruition." He holds his hand out in front of him, clenching his fist and staring at the golden triangles that glow over his plated gauntlet. "I could not have fathomed a more appropriate ending to our long struggle."

"Come down here."

My sudden interjection catches the evil man off guard. Ganondorf cocks an eyebrow. After a moment, he slowly rises to his full height—a towering seven feet. He stays put, staring down at me with petulance.

"Eager to die, are we?" He lifts his chin. "Hmph. That will come. But first, you will listen."

I set my jaw, stubborn. I want to end this. Now.

But maybe if I let him talk, I can find a way to launch an unexpected attack when his guard is let down. That thought keeps me quiet.

"Good." Ganondorf Dragmire takes a few steps towards the edge of the balcony, leaning forward with his gauntlet-clad hands placed on the rail. "I will begin by thanking you. You and Zelda have cooperated very well. I trusted you would come to us instead of running and hiding. For that, I have granted her mercy, for the time being. I could have killed her immediately and hunted you down with both Power and Wisdom to my name against your lone Courage—but out of respect, I decided against it. I will show you what I am capable of in a fair fight.

"Now. I must ask. Since that one fateful night, why did you pursue me so tirelessly? If I were to assume, it had nothing to do with your destiny. You likely had not even known of it yet. Then, perhaps your efforts were out of vengeance... The man I killed that night. You were connected to him, I reason."

My knuckles turn white as I squeeze the hilt of my blade, my body trembling with fury. I say nothing.

That seems to confirm it for Ganondorf. He smiles.

"I see. I feel like I understand your motivations more clearly, now. You only care about those close to you. You care not for serving the gods and carrying out your destiny. Am I correct?

"Allow me to enlighten you, then. Are you aware that we three chosen ones are locked in an eternal cycle of reincarnation, fated to duel until the end of time for the mere entertainment of the gods? It is true. You are no different from any other Link. She is no different from any past Zelda. And I am the King of Evil, reborn. The difference between us three, however, is that I remember it all. Everything that my past selves fought for and failed to achieve. And today is the day I finally win.

"It is utterly cruel for the gods to force our souls into an endless life of bloodshed. I intend to break that cycle. When I kill you two and attain the holy Triforce, I will become immortal. If I never die, the cycle will cease to continue, for all three will not need to be reborn. There will be no more Links, no more Zeldas. Just one all-powerful deity, Demise. Me.

"When I unlock my true power and become the god that I was destined to be, I will destroy the oppressive goddesses who trapped us in this cruel cycle. I will become Demise, the Godslayer. The world I create will be ruled properly. Eternally.

"The Hylians will finally face their punishment for their incompetence. For the crimes they have committed for eons against my people and the other races. For their utter uselessness and imprudence. They are not fit to rule my kingdom."

Ganondorf's eyes narrow to tiny slits as he stares down at me with disdain.

"I plan to right this world in every way I see fit. And I shall stop at nothing to see my plans unfold."

I finally get myself to calm down. Like Nayru said many times, I will not survive if I cannot control my temper.

Ganondorf's speech was eloquent, yet rhetorical. It was merely a verbal manifesto of his plans for world domination. I saw right through it. He's trying to reason with me and turn me against the gods, pinning the blame for everything on them. He thinks he can get me to believe they are the real enemy, and that the cycle is what I should truly be fighting. It's all just an attempt to get me to give up.

Which means he's scared.

"So what will it be, Hero?" Ganondorf's powerful voice cuts through my thoughts. "Will you sacrifice yourself to end this vicious recurring cycle? Or will you challenge me and meet the same fate?"

I hold his gaze, then sheathe the Master Sword and unstrap the Goddess Harp from my back. "Actually neither, I was just about to play you a song."

He furrows his brow, blinking. "A song—"

I flick the instrument to summon the Bow of Light and loose a golden arrow straight for his neck.

Ganondorf catches the arrow in his gauntlet-clad hand, unfazed. He moves his head to glance at the glowing projectile, then turns back to me.

"How pathetic," he spits. "To think that you could—"

Ganondorf grunts when he realizes that the golden arrow has melted through his gauntlet and began to scald the skin of his Triforce hand. He drops the arrow, staring down at his palm before meeting my gaze once again.

"So be it, child."

Ganondorf lifts his arms outward as black and red magic begins to materialize and swirl around his limbs, carrying him into the air. His eyes burn bright yellow, his poised and calculated demeanor washing away as his face contorts with ferocious, demonic rage.

"You will face my wrath!"

His hands become wrapped in tendrils of dark magic, and he emits a booming battle cry as he swings an arm in my direction. A flash of black lightning shoots out from his palm, and I'm just able to lift my shield in time to deflect it.

I huff, steeling myself. Here we go.

Ganondorf levitates in the air, a swirling cloud of red and black energy seeming to lift him up. He floats in circles, mixing up his movement to make it nearly impossible to aim. I loose an arrow and miss badly, eliciting an arrogant sneer. Taking aim again, Ganondorf releases another dark bolt, and I leap out of the way and roll.

Quickly, I take another shot with the Bow of Light, but Ganondorf dips low as the light arrow soars overhead, hitting the amber crystal that holds Zelda. Its translucent face cracks upon impact, the little hairline fractures splaying out from the arrowhead. Zelda's eyes widen and lock with mine, and we both come to a silent agreement.

I can free her, and we can fight him together!

As the King of Evil takes aim for another burst of lightning, I loose a volley of arrows at the floating crystal. Realizing my plan, Ganondorf turns and zaps each projectile straight out of the air. I lower the bow and meet the man's evil eyes, thwarted.

Ganondorf swoops around me, this time hurling a giant ball of dark energy. I dash to the side as it comes crashing down onto the floor beside me, and the force of its impact knocks me off my feet. I skid face-first before pushing myself back up, leaping out of the way of another projectile.

I quickly turn and fire another few shots toward the amber crystal, but at Ganondorf's position, he can easily pick them off one by one. I growl.

He points his hand at me once more, and another burst of lightning shoots out my way. Again, I barely evade the attack, but this time, I noticed something. Ganondorf is moving the whole time, except when he releases his energy.

There's my chance. The only problem is—the attack moves so fast that I would have to take the hit in order to hit him.

Another massive orb of black magic is thrown my way, and I roll away for the last time. And now, bracing myself, I wait for him to charge up another burst of lightning.

He hurls it toward me, and I loose an arrow at the same time.

As the black bolt connects with my body, sending me into a fit of screaming and uncontrollable thrashing, the light arrow pierces Ganondorf's armor and lodges itself in his chest, just missing the heart. The evil man growls with fury and slams himself to the floor, rushing up to meet me while I'm stunned.

He lifts his Triforce hand to the ceiling, and an enormous black broadsword materializes out of thin air. Ganondorf grabs it, then yells out with exertion as he winds up to cleave my body in two.

Just in time, I snap out of it and whip out the Master Sword, barely blocking his forcerful swing from ending me. The impact sends me flying; I slide on my back, then flip onto my feet again as Ganondorf chases me down.

His swings are thunderous, devestating. If not for the Hylian Shield's unparalleled durability, it would have shattered from one swipe of the evil man's heavy blade. I find myself constantly on the defensive as Ganondorf continues his onslaught of powerful attacks, backing closer and closer to the walls of the circular throne room.

Finally, I take a risk and bash one of his swings back with my shield; he recoils slightly, just enough for me to swipe at his midsection. Ganondorf meets my blade with his just in time, and pushes.

I take a step back at the initial brute force he exhibits, gritting my teeth as sweat drips from my brow. He trembles with exertion as he leans his blade toward my face, fanged teeth bared in feral rage. I start to panic, my chances looking bleak. Then, my hand burns with golden light, and suddenly I find the strength to regain my footing and push back. Ganondorf's eyes widen as I even up our stances, then start to lean his own blade toward him. I feel my fury coursing through my veins as I fight back, teeth gritting, resolve unrelenting.

Soon I push his blade away and slash at his neck, but only succeed in raking the tip of my blade down the length of his face and earning him a jagged scar.

Ganondorf grimaces and leaps away, giving me time to pull out the Bow of Light and fire another round of arrows at the amber crystal.

We watch as Zelda's translucent prison shatters into a million pieces, raining down upon the throne and the floor below. Zelda lands gracefully on the balcony, meeting my eyes and giving a nod. I nod back, unable to contain my smile.

Nimbly, Zelda leaps down from the balcony and lands on our level, taking cautious steps over to me. Ganondorf stands in the very center of the circular chamber, and Zelda and I face him at a distance.

She stops a few yards away from me, and I toss her the Bow of Light. Zelda catches it and sends me a gracious smile, before turning her fierce gaze back toward Ganondorf.

"Pathetic," Ganondorf grunts, dark red blood leaking down the side of his face. "You lack the strength and dignity to face me alone, Hero."

He turns to Zelda and sneers.

"You have no place in this battle, girl."

Zelda narrows her eyes.

"Suck my dick."

Blinking, Ganondorf raises a brow. "..."

"Haa-aa!" cries Zelda as she raises her bow and looses an arrow with lightning speed. Ganondorf leaps away, but not in time to avoid the arrow grazing his side, melting his armor in its path. He growls and touches his fingers to his exposed skin, and I take the opportunity to rush him down, sword upraised.

He blocks my initial swipe with ease, then rolls out of the way of an arrow. I stab at him, but my blade bounces off his thick plates of armor. As he swings his sword at me, he lifts his arm and fires a bolt of lightning straight at Zelda. We both avoid his simultaneous attacks, and refuse to relent.

I lunge at him, swinging diagonally, blocking his counter-swipe, stabbing at a chink in his armor but getting deflected. A pair of light arrows lodge themselves into his back as we clash blades, and he snarls and hurls another wave of dark magic toward Zelda.

She rolls away, watching as Ganondorf leaps back into the air, kept afloat by the swirling red and black tendrils of dark matter.

"If you hit him, you'll interrupt his spell and he'll fall!" I call out to her; she nods.

Ganondorf evades a few projectiles before lifting his sword toward the ceiling. A bolt of black lightning connects with the dark blade, and it sparks with raw power. He bellows as he swings his sword in a wide arc, releasing a wave of black magic toward the two of us.

Instinctively, I rush over to Zelda and tackle her to the ground, the dark energy passing by over our heads. Back on our feet, we split up again, spreading out to make him target one or the other. Ganondorf sets his sights on me, sending out another bolt of lightning that I fail to evade this time. I cry out in pain as my body trembles and convulses, and I grip my sword and shield like a vice.

I watch as an arrow pierces Ganondorf's side, and he falls to the ground, the tile floor cracking with the impact.

Finally back to normal, though breathing rather laboriously, I sprint toward the grounded warlock and swipe for his neck yet again. He blocks my blade effortlessly, then counters with a feint and a swipe at my chest. I howl in pain as its sharp edge rakes across my body, spilling my blood.

Gritting my teeth, I block another attack and slice at the melted armor at his side, barely landing a hit before being forced to take cover under my shield as his blade comes crashing down again. Ganondorf dodges an arrow aimed straight for his head, then kicks me away before turning toward Zelda.

I stumble backward, watching in horror as Ganondorf thunders toward Zelda with his blade upraised. She breaks out into a sprint, shooting arrows at him behind her, each of them deftly flicked away by his broadsword. I rush him down and intercept him, meeting his blade with my shield and swinging the Master Sword at him, which clangs off his chestplate harmlessly.

Ganondorf kicks me away again, launching himself back into the air. I swear, frustrated.

"I can't pierce his armor!" I shout.

"Raise your sword!"

"What?!"

"Raise your sword!" Zelda repeats.

I do as she says, watching as she shoots a light arrow into my blade. Its steel surface absorbs the arrow completely, then glows a shiny gold, teeming with energy.

Then, as I avoid another burst of magic from the airborne King of Evil, I watch as Zelda fires another light arrow at him, hitting the man in the shoulder and knocking him back down. I rush toward him, gripping my glowing blade tightly as I wind up and drive it straight through his chest, up to the hilt.

Ganondorf's grip loosens on the blade in his hand, and I watch as it clatters to the floor, then disappears. Heaving labored breaths, I find myself trembling with rage and emotion. A moment passes, and Ganondorf has yet to move. I slowly pull my blade from his body, its steel surface coated red.

Despite my sore limbs, shocked internals, and bleeding chest, it all felt too easy, if I'm being honest. And, well, now that I think about it—

"Heh-heh..."

I step away as Ganondorf's lips curl up into a wicked smile.

"Hah ha ha-ha... HAHA-Hah-haaa!"

He laughs. Like the maniac he is.

Zelda comes to my side, looking between me and the cackling King of Evil.

"You fools..."

Ganondorf's eyes burn pure yellow, his whites, pupils, and irises gone. His billowing red hair erupts in flame, his skin darkening to a demonic black as the dark magic curls around the lower half of his body, slowly rising.

"I will not be stopped!"

As the black and red tendrils of magic swirl around his body, his plates of armor start to burst off, his muscles bulging and swelling as his body begins to... grow.

I take Zelda's hand and step backward, watching in horror as the transformation unfolds.

Ganondorf's body slowly expands as the cloud of malice and rage begins to overtake him. He collapses onto all fours, his legs taking on a beastly form. A tail of flame sparks up from his behind, and his arms become massive forelimbs of ink-black muscle, his hands warping into paws, fingernails shaping into claws sharper than diamond. His face is the last to change, and certainly the most disturbing. Two ivory tusks jut out of his jowls, slowly growing as the rest of his head takes shape. His nose becomes a pig-like snout, his face widens and recedes into a more beastly shape, and his mane of fiery hair billows out behind him.

Ganondorf is no longer human. The enormous, boar-like beast before us paws at the floor, opening its jaw to reveal a set of white fangs and a snaking blue tongue.

I feel Zelda's grip tighten on my hand as the demon bellows a blood-curdling roar.

"I... AM... GANON!"

Chills run down my spine as I stare up at the beast in awe. How am I supposed to kill a boar the size of a semi truck?

Zelda and I continue to back away until we feel our backs hit the wall. She gulps, the Bow of Light shaking in her hand. "Link?"

"Hm."

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Big pig?"

"Yeah, big pig."

Ganon's eyes burn with yellow light, and it roars again before stamping at the floor with crushing force. Zelda and I feel the ground start to shake, then we watch as the tile floor crumbles and begins to collapse from the center out. Ganon falls through first, then the damage soon reaches our feet, allowing no time to flee.

Zelda screams as we fall through the floor as debris rains down around us. Ganon's massive body slams through the lower floors of Hyrule Castle's central tower, and we tumble along after him toward the ground below. I find Zelda's hand and latch onto her, spinning my body so I can break her fall. I've jumped from rooftops before, so maybe I will be able to survive this.

The walls rush upwards in a blur of gray as we fall at a dangerous velocity, while the debris around us seems to be unmoving.

The enormous beast finally hits the ground, slamming into the stone floor of the sanctum and crushing its pillars. The debris from the upper floors crashes down below, piling up in uneven heaps and sending clouds of dust into the air. Zelda and I follow right after, and I close my eyes in fear of what's to come.

I suddenly feel my body slow to a stop, then peek my eyes open to see a flash of golden light emenating from Zelda's Triforce. By some divine intervention, we were saved from our certain doom.

"Nayru's Love," Zelda whispers, staring at her mark.

We lock eyes, then leap to our feet on the uneven terrain of the destroyed sanctum. Ganon rises to its four legs in the center of the chamber, swiping at the clutter at its feet and clearing out some space. While tedious, all this rubble may actually help in slowing the beast down.

Dizzy and bleeding, I stagger forward, gripping my blade and facing the massive demon up ahead.

Ganon paws at the ground and huffs, its mane of fire intensifying. Then, with a roar, it charges.

I was wrong about all the wreckage helping to slow the beast down. It didn't do a thing. Ganon closes the distance between us in less than three seconds, its tusks pointed straight at me, baring its teeth with murderous intent. I'm able to duck under its thick head, slicing at its belly as it passes over me. I roll out from underneath the beast and avoid getting fried by its flaming tail, then watch as a light arrow connects with its meaty side.

The beast bellows as it turns toward Zelda and charges. My eyes widen in fear.

"No—!"

Zelda waits until the last moment to leap up off the wall behind her, letting Ganon slam into the stone structure, causing the whole castle to shake. She deflty lands atop Ganon's back, narrowly avoiding its fiery mane, and looses a pair of arrows straight down into the beast's body before being thrown off. Zelda lands hard in the wreckage, grimacing, but still able to get up.

Ganon turns back toward me, rears up on its hind legs, and charges. This time, too much debris is in my way to manuever around or find a place to duck under. I cry out as the beast's thick skull slams into my body, sending me rocketing back into the stone wall. I slam against it, then slide to the ground, pain erupting in my back and limbs. I faintly hear Zelda scream my name. Then I see a flash of light, and the beast roars again.

Everything hurts. The cut across my chest pours out more and more blood, and yet I'm still alive, somehow. I force myself to my feet, my vision blurry and dark. I march forward. My head is pounding, at least one of my ribs is surely broken, but somehow I'm not afraid. My primal instincts must be taking over, because it almost feels like I know what I'm doing.

A light arrow flies into the demonic boar's eye, eliciting an ear-splitting roar from Ganon. Zelda grits her teeth, wincing as she lets another arrow fly, and it soars through the beast's roaring maw. Ganon points its head skyward and hisses, swiping at the wreckage at its feet, sending masses of stone and brick in all directions. Zelda dodges most of them, but the remnants of a column catch her feet and trips her. She falls onto the floor as Ganon turns her way, one burning eye having gone dim.

I pick up the pace and sprint, ignoring the screaming pain in my body; I catch Zelda's eye, lifting my sword straight up. From the ground, she looses an arrow straight at me, and it connects with the Master Sword's bloody surface. It glows brightly once more, and I close the distance between me and the demon.

I emit a deafening battle cry as I leap high into the air with my charged blade, then come straight down and drive it into Ganon's forehead.

The beast freezes, silent, and all goes still.

I wheeze a handful of strained breaths, my shield arm falling to my side as I maintain my grip on the hilt of the Master Sword.

I finally come to my senses and realize the gravity of my actions. I avenged my uncle. I finally did it. After so long. So much effort, so much violence. Far too much killing. But wasn't it all worth it?

It's what I've always wanted since that horrible, horrible night.

Isn't it?

I yank my blade from the beast's skull and let my sword arm fall, my knees nearly buckling. I drop my shield and hold my hand to my open wound, then stare at my palm. Covered in blood.

Zelda slowly comes up beside me, blonde hair sticking to her forehead, a cut marring her cheek, grime and dust coating her skin. Regardless, I've never found her more beautiful.

I saved her. And she saved me.

That much makes it all worth it.

"Link, look!"

Zelda pointed to Ganon's crippled body as it slowly started to darken to an ink-black. Then, in a burst of black and red matter, the beast lost its form, the tendrils swirling back into a smaller, centralized point before shaping into the still figure of Ganondorf Dragmire.

He stood a mere ten feet away. He faced them, but his head was angled down. Black blood leaked from underneath the amber gemstone that crowned the regal circlet on his forehead. Gone was his pompous sneer, his unbridled confidence. He looked utterly defeated, the shell of a man whose soul was doomed to eternal failure.

Zelda watched as Link tightened his grip on his blade, his relaxed expression hardening once more. He'd thought it was over, it seemed, and now he was angry that he wasn't quite finished yet. Link started walking.

"Link, do it," Zelda breathed. "The Master Sword is the only way to—"

Link drove his blade into Ganondorf's heart before the last words even left her mouth. He never hesitated, though she thought she saw a flash of black. And saw him flinch. And heard him... choke.

That's when she saw it.

Ganondorf's black blade jutting through Link's back, straight through his heart.

Her face paled, and she screamed.

Link and Ganondorf fell to their knees at the same time, their blades in each other's hearts. Link's eyes were wide and unblinking, while Ganondorf wore a faint sneer.

"Y-you... took... everything... from me..." Link sputtered, still in shock.

Ganondorf only closed his eyes. "...As did you."

Zelda rushed to Link's side as Ganondorf yanked his blade from the boy with his final breath. The Gerudo man fell to the side, finally dead, and for real this time.

She held Link in her arms as he bled out, tears streaming down her face and dripping onto his. "No, no, no no no no..." she bawled, burying her head in his shoulder like she so often did in less tragic times.

"Z-Zelda."

She peeled herself away, meeting his eyes as they started to grow glassier and more distant.

"Link, Link I—"

He shook his head, cutting her off before she could say it.

"...Thank you," he breathed.

And she watched the life fade from his eyes.

Zelda screamed at the heavens and burrowed back into his shoulder, bawling in agony. She gripped the green cloth of his sleeve and felt the warmth of his skin slowly begin to fade.

It was her fault. It was her fault for so many reasons. Being selfish and stubborn back when Yuga was around. Not listening to his warnings and getting captured. Telling him to finish the job without even thinking of the possibility that—

Zelda let the tears flow freely. She had never cried this hard in her life, not even when her beloved stepmother had passed away. She didn't know how she could go on without him. She couldn't. He meant everything to her.

If only she would've told him that.

That thought only brought more tears as regret clutched at her heart and squeezed it. Zelda would do anything for a second chance.

That was when she heard the faint sound of something dropping to the floor, somewhere off behind her. She thought nothing of it, considering it was small and probably just a pebble from the debris.

But then she heard another similar noise, and it came from Link.

Zelda lifted her head, wiping her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to look at his face again, but she looked around his body to find what it was that made that sound. Then she saw it, tucked underneath a little brick slab.

A small, opaque golden triangle.

She knitted her brows, befuddled. A triangle? But... It couldn't be the...

Zelda's eyes lit up. Link's Triforce of Courage. And the same sound that occurred behind her must have been Ganondorf's Triforce of Power. And Zelda had Wisdom.

Suddenly, Zelda had a very very good idea.

She hurried into action, tossing aside the brick slab and touching her right hand to the little triangle on the ground. Zelda watched as the opaque figure dissipated into golden light, absorbing into her finger and coursing into her hand. She felt godly strength fill her body, and she breathed in deeply before getting up and hurrying over to Ganondorf's large corpse.

She turned him over and found the triangle between a broken column and a slab of tile from the throne room. Reaching down, Zelda's fingertips made contact with the Triforce of Power. The little beads of light flowed into her finger, and soon enough, the back of her hand glowed brightly with all three triangles.

Zelda felt herself tremble with power. She could, quite literally, do anything. The thought scared her.

But Zelda knew what she wanted to do.

She clasped her hands together, bowed her head, and wished with all her being for Link to return.

Almost immediately, the three triangles on the back of her hand burned with searing pain, and she yelped, startled. A column of golden light from the heavens enveloped her body, and she looked up in wonder.

Then, a second column enveloped Link's body. A moment passed, and then both columns of light disappeared.

Zelda waited, lip quivering. Link didn't move.

And then he did.

Link's eyelids fluttered open, and Zelda crashed into him with overwhelming relief, crying hysterically.

Link coughed, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her hair, but the confusion never left his face.

"Zel?" he asked.

She tore herself away from him to look into his eyes. He wiped the gleeful tears from her face, and she laughed, a smile stretching across her lips. "We won, Link."

"We... won." Link didn't sound very certain. But then, he smiled. "We won," he repeated, cupping her cheek.

His eyes flicked to his bare hand, where a triangle no longer glowed.

Zelda noticed the confusion in his face, and turned her hand over to show him the complete Triforce. Link's eyebrows shot up.

"Don't worry. I'll give it back," she laughed. "I just had to borrow it for a sec."

He laughed too.

They both turned at the sound of the sanctum's doors slamming open, then the shuffling of footsteps.

Dark came rushing into the sanctum, a large detached door handle dangling from the chain to his handcuffed wrist. Behind him, Sheik, Midna, Pipit, Karane, Mikau, Mido, Groose, and Ralph tumbled in, all armed with sports equipment and... fruit.

Dark struggled to catch his breath, while all the others seemed perfectly fine.

"Oh, goodie, you're done. Finally."

He looked around at all the rubble, then back at Link and Zelda as they held each other.

"Sheesh, what happened here? You two must've really been going at it. Breaking the whole castle, and all. Animals."