"What?! Not you!" Ganondorf shouted.
Without skipping a beat, Link lunged forward, catching Ganondorf off guard and severing his left arm from the elbow down. "This is where you die!" Link yelled, delivering numerous slashes to Ganon's chest, the Demon King stumbling back as Link lunged forward, slicing his throat.
Ganon fell to one knee, blood pouring from his neck and arm. "You think you've won, don't you, boy?" he asked, spitting blood between words.
"Stay where you are and accept your fate, I'll end your life quickly so you don't have to endure as much of a thrashing. It really would be in your best interests." Link replied.
Ganon smirked, rising to his feet. "That was quite a dishonorable trick you pulled on me, having the Dragon Knight carry you into battle so you could surprise me." he stated, the wound on his neck healing while his severed forearm burned away in a flash of green flame, everyone looking on in stunned silence as Ganon raised his left arm, new bone, muscle and skin sprouting from the wound. "The Anteforce combined with the power of my brothers gives me almost limitless abilities, and yet you're foolish enough to still believe that Master Sword will be all it takes."
"It always will be!" Link answered, racing in and stabbing at Ganondorf, the Demon King blocking his strike with the Elder Blade. Link faded back, performing a spin attack, Ganon levitating above it and dropping down, bringing the Elder blade downwards onto Link, the Hero catching it with the Master Sword, his legs beginning to shake under the pressure.
"I can be as strong as I desire." Ganondorf stated, applying more force to his blade.
Link dodged to the left, the Elder Blade sliding away from the Master Sword. "You can't win!" Link called out, rushing at Ganon, Link made a diagonal upward slash, Ganon fading back before diving in, stabbing at the Hero only for Link to side step the strike, Ganon launched a stream of dark energy from his mouth, Link deflecting it and darting in, slashing horizontally, Ganon swiping it away with a diagonal downwards slash, Link stepping back and performing a helm splitter, Ganon raising his sword and intercepting it as the Hero's sword came down. Link faded back as Ganon moved to the side, twirling the Elder Blade.
"I forgot how it felt to wield this weapon." Ganon said with a smirk, sending a taunting glance towards Elgon.
"Don't get used to it!" Link roared, his Triforce of Courage showing brightly as his golden aura formed around him.
"There it is." Ganon whispered.
Link shot at Ganondorf with inhuman speed, their blades meeting with a shower of sparks. Ganon gritted his teeth as Link pushed him back, skidding across the ground.
The Demon King quickly recovered, roaring as he leapt into the air, holding his blade aloft as a crimson aura rose around him. Link dashed towards Ganon, his golden aura intensifying as he leapt into the air, their blades meeting with an explosion of crimson and gold energies, Impa, Oren, Cia and a recently recovered Erris blocking their eyes as even the battle around them came to a standstill.
As the flash died down, Link attempted to fade back, only for Ganondorf to extend an arm, one of Majora's whips shooting at him, binding around his arms and securing him in place.
"You can't hold me." Link growled as he forced his arms apart, slowly freeing himself.
"It's a good thing I don't have to hold you for long, then." the Demon King replied. Ganon channeled a jolt of electricity into the whip, Link gritting his teeth as it coursed through his body, hindering his escape.
"We have to do something!" Impa said, the group dashing towards Ganon.
"I don't think so!" Ganondorf said, swiping his left arm in their direction, a jagged wall of stone erupting from the earth and blocking their path.
Erris quickly blasted it down as the group began forward, coming to a halt shortly thereafter, Impa, Oren, Cia, Elgon, and Erris failing to move as terror gripped them. Marching out of the enemy forces came three Black Knights, the two on the outside carrying Trystane and Viscen, the one in the middle restraining a still weakened Zelda.
"Please, Goddesses, no!" Impa cried out as the others looked on in horror.
"Kill the others and bring the Princess to me." Ganon commanded.
Two of the Black Knights one the left and the other on the right held out the barely conscious forms of Viscen and Trystane by their necks, driving their swords through their chests in unison, both Viscen and Trystane jerking in their captors grip before going motionless, the Black Knights dropping both lifeless men to the ground.
Ganon grinned as the Black Knight laid Zelda at his feet, the Princess' breathing speeding up as he looked down at her. "Never fear Princess, I shan't kill you yet." he said.
Link roared, tearing the whip away from himself as he charged Ganon. The Black Knight turned to intercept him, the Hero channeling the power of his Triforce as he easily cut down the Knight. "You won't touch her!" Link yelled, swinging the Master Sword at Ganon's head.
The Demon King raised his arm, a shield materializing around his forearm, catching Link's slash. "Worry not hero, this plan involves you too." he said, laughing as Link was brought to his knees, Ghirahim earleir having returned to his Sword Spirit form, delivering a blast of energy to Link's back.
Tears streamed down Impa's face as she took off towards Ganon, the Demon King paying the her no heed as they raced towards them. Suddenly, the ground shattered beneath their feet, sending Elgon, Impa, Oren, Cia and Erris onto their backs.
"I can't move." Oren said.
"Neither can I." Erris responded, recognizing the familiar spell, feeling a chill traverse his spine as he felt for Wizzro, the ring having vanished.
"Fool you once, shame on me, fool you twice, shame on you." Kanthos said as he strode up, looking healthy as ever. "Looking for this?" he asked with a grin, holding Wizzro's ring form between his thumb and index finger.
"What have you done to us?" Oren growled.
"Simple gravity spell, I want you all to sit right here and watch as Lord Ganondorf claims his final victory." Kanthos answered.
"How can you be so strong?! You could barely even stand!" Cia questioned.
"The protective field around Castle Town is gone, and due to your forces disabling the anti-translocation spell sigils we had scrawled in the catacombs under the field, I was able to warp directly into Castle Town and you know, raid some apothecaries and open a few gates." Kanthos said with a smirk.
Fear hit the group as their realized that Castle Town was now defenseless, Impa pounding her fist against the ground in anger. "I will kill you." she growled.
"Silence! First off, no you won't, and second, just watch." Kanthos said.
Erris raised his eyes, watching as Volga in his dragon formed swooped into the distant crowds of enemy soldiers, raining down fire upon them. "Please, help us." Erris thought, too exhausted to resist the spell.
oOo
Ganondorf drew the silver diamond shaped artifact from his cloak, Ghirahim looking on with a manic grin.
"Is it time, my Master? Time for vengeance?" he asked giddily.
"The moment is finally at hand!" Ganon called out, his voice booming as he raised the artifact. The Demon King called out a verse in old Hylian, following it with the modern tongue. "Goddesses in the heavens, we call you to our realm!" he shouted.
Bright flashes began emanating from the silver object, filling the air and blinding all of those around it. Link, Zelda and Ganondorf all inhaled sharply, their pieces of the Triforce emerging from their bodies and entering the artifact, filling half of it.
Ganon's chest was heaving as he dug his fingers into it, pulling the complete Anteforce out. "You see, this artifact was constructed by the greatest of ancient sorcerers in the Kingdom of Ikana, spurned by the Goddesses they created it to capture the Triforce so they could call the Goddesses to our realm, including a space for the Anteforce to taint the ritual and weaken the Goddesses! I must thank your people Sorceress, for this would not have been possible without them! Ganon called out excitedly, glancing at Cia. "Now! Time to make your grand entrance!" Ganon proclaimed ecstatically.
With both the Anteforce and Triforce contained inside the artifact, it began spinning, a sphere of energy forming around it and shooting a golden beam of light into the ground, crimson bolts of energy crackling around it.
The battle paused as the beam separated into three, shooting off towards Labrynna, the Lost Woods and Castle Town.
All eyes turned to the city as the Great Deku Tree bellowed in pain, a gold aura rising around him, while crimson energy also tore it's way through him.
oOo
Labrynna
The guards assigned to the Great Maku Tree attempted to cover both their eyes and ears as the Labrynnian Forest Deity cried out in pain, a gold and crimson aura erupting from inside of her accompanied by a blinding flash.
oOo
The Lost Woods
The frozen prison Trystane had created for the Baga Tree melted immediately, a wave of water washing over the forest and being split in half as a line of energy tore through it and struck the Dark Forest Deity, reawakening the being and filling him with the energies of the Anteforce and Triforce.
oOo
Hyrule Field
Impa and company looked on, wide eyed, as a column of golden energy, surrounded by a crimson aura shot into the sky from the Great Deku Tree, two other identical shafts of energy doing the same in the distance.
"It's glorious..." Kanthos said, trailing off.
Below them, Ghirahim danced excitedly, Link and Zelda laying inactive at his feet.
"We've won, Master!" Ghirahim proclaimed.
"Not yet, but in moment." Ganonorf said with a grin.
Far above in the skies three bright lights appeared over the energy beams, one red, one blue, and the last green, with a quick motion, the beams seemed to capture these lights, the objects flashing and shaking in a seemingly distressed manner as the Anteforce's aura reached them. In the blink of an eye the three columns of energy shifted, bringing the three lights directly above Ganon, the artifact shooting another beam of light skywards, the three lights descending quickly as it made contact.
A loud crash filled the air as wind rushed through the field, every man and beast ceasing combat as they raised their arms to protect themselves, debris flying through the air whilst gold and crimson rays of light permeated the area, sounds not unlike thunder and lightning emanating from where Ganondorf stood, even the Demon King stepping back and raising a protective forcefield around himself, Zelda doing the same for Link and herself with what little energy she had remaining.
As suddenly as it started, the wind stopped, the field going silent as the light died. All eyes fell towards Ganon, Ghirahim, Link and Zelda, the Hero and Princess now standing.
Link looked down at his hand, his Triforce mark was gone, he quickly turned to Zelda, coming to the same conclusion about hers, but all the while she seemed wholly unconcerned by it. Link's head snapped forward, his insides feeling as if they were twisting as they took in the sight.
Before them, on their knees inside a large diamond shaped sigil, were three women, their hair crimson, green, and blue.
"Hero, Princess. So glad you woke in time for this momentous occasion." Ganondorf crowed, Link noting his Triforce of Power as well as the Anteforce were no longer in his possession. "Ah, I see you've noticed your parts of the Triforce are missing, as is mine." Ganon said with a smirk.
Link and Zelda exchanged glances before turning their gazes to the three woman before them, the pieces of the Triforce and Anteforce still contained in the artifact that hung in the air above them.
"That artifact you see, uses the power of the Triforce and Anteforce to thrust them down to our plain of existence and contain them whether they like it or not." Ganondorf explained.
The blue haired woman looked up, reaching for Zelda. "Sister..." she said hoarsely, fear and pain in her eyes.
Before anyone could react, Ganondorf stepped into the sigil, it's outline glowing as he crossed it. "The best part is, while on the mortal plain, they are vulnerable to me." he said.
"No!" Zelda shouted as Ganon grabbed the blue haired woman, Nayru, by her long cerulean locks, jerking her head back as he held out his right arm, Ghirahim resuming his sword form and entering Ganon's grasp.
Zelda screamed while Link watched wide eyed, Ganon's forces erupting in cheers as the Demon King brought his blade to her neck and with one sharp motion, sliced through her throat, the glow the Goddess had fading away as she fell to the ground.
"No...no...no...I won't let you do this! I can't!" Link screamed.
Zelda stepped to the side, her attention turning to Link as a white aura built around him.
Link cried out as he charged forward, slamming into Ganondorf, knocking the Demon King clear of the sigil and onto his back.
"What? What is this?" Ganon spat. "You know longer have your Triforce, you can't be this strong without it!" he yelled.
Link ignored his rival as he charged again, bringing the Master Sword up. Ganon got to his feet and charged forward, crying out in rage as he and Link clashed.
"Sisters." Zelda said as she entered the diamond shaped sigil, extending her hands to Din and Farore.
"Nayru." Din said, weakly extending her hand.
"We'll take care of her." Zelda said, fighting back tears. "Stay here, I have to help Link." Zelda said.
Link faded back as Ganon shoved forward, the Demon King regaining his footing as Link made for an upwards slash. Out of the corner of his eye, Link could see her making her way towards him. "No." he thought.
Zelda ran to Link, stopping as he and Ganon clashed again.
"Zelda, go! I'll hold him off! Take the Goddesses and run!" Link yelled.
"Oh no you don't!" Ganon yelled, aiming the Elder Blade at Zelda, a blast of dark energy forming at it's point.
Link charged forward and tackled the Demon King, causing the blast to go off course and strike his own forces.
Link held Ganondorf down with one knee as he spun the Master Sword upside down. He thrust it towards Ganon's head, the Gerudo man quickly nodding his head to the side, the blade burying itself in the dirt.
Ganondorf telekinetically tossed Link off, the Hero managing to land on one hand and knee, quickly recovering.
Zelda went as fast as she could, channeling what little energy she had left to help her sisters up the hill, every now and then being forced to use more energy to fend off an attack by enemy soldiers, forcing her to leave Nayru's body behind.
"The Erytheus, you must destroy it." Farore whispered.
Zelda had almost forgotten, the artifact still contained the Triforce pieces...but she couldn't go back. She instead chose to go on, heading up the hill towards Impa and the rest.
oOo
"Well, time to get to it, Lord Ganondorf needs my help, and I can't very well leave you alive, now can I?" Kanthos said mockingly.
Impa struggled against the gravity spell in vain as Kanthos made his way over to her, raising his blade into the air above her chest.
"It will be my honor to take your life first." he said with a grin. "Just be glad my gravity spell doesn't effect me, so I can end it quickly." he said.
A gust of wind blew past the group, followed by a loud thud.
"What the hell?!" Kanthos called out as a large orange dragon landed opposite him. He turned quickly to Impa, making to stab her but was forced to move away as the dragon shot a jet of flame at him.
"You won't stop me, Dragon Knight!" Kanthos roared as he shot a bolt of red lightning at Volga, the Dragon Knight quickly deflecting it with his tail before lunging towards Kanthos. The Foreign sorcerer tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough as the dragon's jaws closed around him.
Volga bit down, his jaws being forced apart telekinetically by Kanthos, but only after the former had broken the latter's ribs and right arm. The Dragon Knight took to the sky, rearing his head back and tossing Kanthos away. Volga quickly flew back to the rise, reverting to his Knight form as Impa, Oren, Elgon, Cia and Erris got to their feet, Kanthos' defeat breaking the gravity spell.
"Are you all in good health?" Volga asked.
"So what? Are you on our side now?" Oren asked.
"There's no time for this." Volga said as he looked around, enemy forces closing in on them.
"He saw the error of his ways and joined us, end of story." Elgon said.
"It's good to see you again, Sir Volga." Cia said as she nodded at the Dragon Knight.
"Impa!" Zelda called as she crested the hill.
"Princess!" Impa called as she and Oren ran to her, Zelda, Din, and Farore dropping to their knees.
"Not to break up this reunion, but we have company." Erris said, numerous men and beasts under Ganon's command slowly surrounding the small group.
"We might be able to hold them off for a short time, but it won't be long." Volga said.
"Any second now." Elgon said quietly.
"Until what?" Oren asked.
"Our second wave." Elgon responded.
Suddenly a horn blared from the forest, hundreds of men pouring out of the tree line and joining the battle, bolstering the allied army and forcing their adversaries back.
Erris, Elgon and Volga ran to the front of the group, using blasts of flame and light to take out as many enemy soldiers as possible.
"Princess, we must go!" Impa said as she hoisted Zelda onto her feet.
"But Link..." Zelda said, looking back.
"Princess...he'll find another way out, but we must escape now while we still can." Impa said.
Cia aided Din and Farore to their feet as they made their way to Elgon, Erris and Volga. "Is everything alright?" Cia asked.
"You tell us?" Impa replied.
Ahead of them, the bodies of humans and beasts were knocked into the air, a contingent of men breaking through the enemy line. Erris, Elgon, and Volga ceased their assault as none other than Thrakon emerged, beckoning towards them.
"Come on! We have to go now!" he called. The group made their way forward, Zelda shooting one last glance back towards the field, unable to find Link among the thousands below them.
"Impa, we can't defeat Ganondorf without the Triforce." Zelda said, looking down at her bare hand, devoid of the mark.
"I know, we have that handled." Impa replied, a sad, almost grieving look on her face.
It was then that Zelda understood.
oOo
Oren dashed down the hill, slashing and cutting his way through Ganon's forces, easily dispatching the Bulblins and humans, while also being able to outrun the likes of Moblins, but he knew for a fact that he'd attracted the attention of more than a few Lizalfos, and they'd be on him soon enough, as quick as they were.
The Sheikah man skidded to a halt, quickly swiping his sword through a waiting Moblin, charging forward and easily cutting through a line of Bulblins and human soldiers.
"So that's it...the Erytheus." he said in a calm manner. Oren let out a loud cry, bringing Great Sword down on the silver object, the blade shattering it. Oren drove his sword into the ground, bracing himself against it as the Triforce and Anteforce sat in midair for a moment, silver shards falling to the ground in front of him, soon enough, all six pieces of both objects flew away, attracted to their rightful owners.
Oren smiled, releasing an uncharacteristically hearty laugh before pulling his sword from the ground and raising it towards the enemies that slowly surrounded him.
"Well then, are you all just going to stand there? Or will I have to make the first move?" Oren called out.
Each and every beast and man around the Sheikah man charged forward, Oren raising his blade and running to meet them.
oOo
Link darted to the side as Ganon slashed at him, the Hero performing a spin attack to clear the enemies behind him.
Ganon roared as he charged forward, delivering a stab, Link side-stepping it and slashing downwards at his adversary, Ganon countering the strike and spinning to the side, performing a series of slashes, Link blocking each.
Ganon faded back and extended an arm, shooting a stream of dark energy at Link, the Hero raising the Master Sword to block it, his arms shaking as he was pushed back.
Suddenly a gold flash greeted him, the strength of his Triforce of Courage returning to him. Link called upon it, a gold aura joining the white one that surrounded him. In seconds, Link had pushed through the energy stream.
Ganondorf faded back as Link emerged from the wave of dark energy.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Hero." Ganon said with a smile, the Anteforce glowing brilliantly on his chest, Triforce of Power once again in the middle.
"I'll cut it out of you!" Link roared as he charged forward. Leaping into the air, Link brought his sword down on Ganon, the Demon King easily deflecting it.
Link looked around nervously, he had willingly walked deep into the enemy force, not an ally in sight.
"Well? Aren't you going to attack me, boy?" Ganondorf called out.
Without a word, Link ran forward, performing a spin attack, Ganon deflecting his blade and returning with a horizontal slash. Link faded back before darting in with a diagonal downwards slash followed by a stab, then an upwards diagonal strike, Ganon dodging all three with ease.
Link slowly backed away, leveling his sword with Ganon. "Let's see how you take this one." Link said threateningly.
The Hero called upon all of his power, the Triforce of Courage roaring to life inside of him while the strange energy he had found within earlier swelled. Link thrust his blade into the air, a beam of blue energy shooting down from the heavens and meeting the point of the Master Sword, Link swung his blade downwards, Ganon attempting to block as the beam struck him. Link launched forward as Ganondorf was bound within a golden energy construct in the shape of the Triforce. As soon as he was upon him, Link began slashing along the lines of the construct, seemingly striking from every direction at once, gold flashes emanating from the Master Sword every time it made contact. Link retracted his arm to make the final blow, but before he could deliver it, Ganon broke free, the Triforce construct shattering and disappearing.
Before Link could react, Ganon grabbed his wrist and neck, holding him in place.
"I am no longer Ganondorf, I am Demise, I am Majora, I am Mahlik, I command the power of the Anteforce, and the Triforce of Power. I am not a demon, but a God!" Ganon called out.
Link gritted his teeth as Ganondorf's grip tightened, his eyes going wide as Ganon crushed his wrist. Link cried out in pain as the Master Sword fell from his grasp.
"You cannot, and will not defeat me." Ganon snarled.
Link reached for the Master Sword with his right hand, Ganon telekinetically pulling out out of his reach.
"You see Hero, I will not kill you yet, it will be when I have killed all of those you care for and destroyed everything you hold dear that I will consider it...and even then, I will force you to live on, alone in the dark, haunted by all you could have done differently. It will be when you are not even capable of begging for death, that I will take your worthless life." Ganon said, looking down at Link with eyes full of malice.
"That's what you think...and you are wrong." Link hissed.
"Your tale is over, Hero." Ganondorf said as he raised his hands to his head. Electricity shot from Ganon's horns, Link screaming as it struck him coursing through his body, but even to him, his screams sounded distant, as if they weren't even his.
Ganon's forces cheered as Ghirahim returned to his sword spirit form, laughing maniacally.
Link opened his eyes briefly, just in time to see a third eye open between Ganon's horns, an eye not unlike that of Majora.
The Hero braced himself as a beam of energy shot from the third eye, everything going black as it struck him.
oOo
Alright everyone! That concludes chapter 44, leaving us with only one more chapter to go before the conclusion of part three.
Gerudospirit: I thank you so much for all the help you've given me along the way! Reviews mean so much, they really encourage us authors to keep writing and to better ourselves as we do! I'm glad you liked the details about Trystane's situation, I thought that there would be a lot of souls that would like to get back at Ganon, and due to Cia's carelessness, they finally got the chance by possessing Trystane. I'm glad you like the way I've written Ghirahim, he's one of my favorite antagonists in the games! Onto Ganondorf! I'm so excited you can see that, I just feel like that sometimes the games just throw him in front of Link to be beaten, and after a while people can't really see how menacing he can be, and that's something I really wanted to fix! I hope you weren't disappointed by this chapter! Thank you for the review!
Also, thank you to all of those who clicked favorite and follow on my story and my profile! You all make writing this worthwhile!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!
-Prometheus17