Hey everyone…

Voila chapter 8: the wedding, as I promised. I have chapter 9 under lock and key…literally…I wrote it out on loose-leaf and it's in my locked closet.

Enjoy

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Chapter 8:
The Wedding

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Link stood at the front gate of the castle, checking invitations. Occasionally he would glance over his shoulder at where everything was set up, looking for the glint of a sword, or the refraction from a HawkEye lens.

Once all the guests were within the grounds, he went to the armory and got himself a sword and a crossbow. If Ganon was going to try anything, he wanted to be ready.

He took his position on a balcony with a clear view of the event. The priest was standing in the middle, Ganon was off to one side, and Ganon's security was sitting in the front row.

The music started, and Link watched as Zelda walked down the center aisle, accompanied by Rathos.

She reached the altar, and Link readied his crossbow.

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The priest's voice droned on and on for what seemed like hours, until Link saw something. There was a glint in the bush.

He reached for his walkie-talkie.

"Hey, uh, anyone see that shining thing in the bush?"

"Uh, yeah, actually, I did. I'll go check it out."

He watched a guard dart across the back of the chairs and peer into the bushes.

"Link, you better get down here. There's a body in the bush. Looks like it might be our assassin."

He sighed. That meant Ganon had taken matters into his own hands.

He turned back to the marriage.

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"Do you, Ganondorf Dragmire, Prince of Termina take Princess Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Princess Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule, take Ganondorf Dragmire, Prince of Termina to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Link took a deep breath.

"I don't"

And he sighed. She had done it after all.

Ganon turned to her. "What?"

"Get the hell out of my kingdom."

Ganon looked from her to Rathos, and it dawned on him.

"You…lied to me?" he spat at Rathos.

Rathos nodded. "I was sick of being your puppet, Ganon. So I took matters into my own hands."

Ganon howled with rage, and drew his sword. Rathos looked more afraid than Link had ever seen him.

Time seemed to freeze as Link realized what was going to happen.

"No!" he cried.

Ganon plunged his sword into Rathos belly, driving it in deep before whispering: "I wanted you alive old man. I wanted you to watch your daughter die."

Rathos groaned. "Well now you can't, because a hundred people just saw you kill the king."

Rathos chuckled as he fell to the ground.

Link felt his eyes burn with unshed tears as Zelda screamed and knelt next to her dying father.

He fired his crossbow. There was a flash of metal and a roar of pain.

The arrow had pierced Ganon's leg.

Link rushed over to Rathos fallen body as Ganon limped away.

"S-stop Ganon…Leave me…." murmured Rathos.

"No, no I won't leave you. You'll be alright. You can live through this."

Link tore off part of his jacket and pressed it against the wound.

"Hold this here," he instructed Zelda before grabbing his sword and running off after Ganon.

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"Stop right there Dragmire."

Ganon turned, laughing, to face Link.

"Oh, well if it isn't Link Forrester. What are you going to do? Stab me?"

Link shook his head. "Why stab you when we can cause you untold amounts of pain?"

Ganon laughed maniacally. "Diplomatic immunity, idiot."

Link laughed now. "It doesn't apply when you kill a king. They'll have you locked up until you rot."

"Who's 'they'?"

Link pointed behind Ganon.

Ganon turned around slowly, and found himself face to face with the captain of the Royal Guard.

He turned back to Link.

"You win this time Forrester. But mark my words. I'll be back soon."

And he vanished in a puff of smoke.

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Link sprinted back to the courtyard. Zelda was standing up. He caught her eye, and she shook her head.

Guards were beginning to cluster around the great king's body. Link felt hot tears sting at his eyes.

"You did this. You weren't fast enough," whispered a voice in his head.

He felt the tears form at his eyes and drop to his Guard's Tunic. More people were gathering around his body, some were crying, some were shielding children's eyes from it. Everyone was in shock.

The man who had ruled Hyrule for 40 long years was lying dead in a pool of blood at his daughter's wedding.

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Link caught up with Zelda as she ran away from the courtyard. He took her into his arms and held her as sobs racked her body.

She hit her hand against his shoulder, but he held her in his embrace until she had no more tears left.

"Why did it have to be him?" she choked, "Why did it have to be my daddy? I was right there. He could have ended the Harkinian line but he chose to kill Papa."

"I know Zellie. But it's all over now. You're safe, and that's what matters. Shh, Zellie, I'm here."

But even with his emotional strength, Link couldn't hold back a few of his own tears for the man who had taken him under his wing.

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Replies to reviews and emails:

Meta Zangetsu: why can't the cake turn out alright?

Solo384: I could kill Ganon off if that would be easier…I am the author after all…

Wavebreezer: thank you for your constructive criticism. (Link was at Zelda's side when she was recovering from having an arrow through her shoulder)

To the person who said they had read all my stories and wanted another songfic done, I will try.

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As I wrote the bit where link gets back to Rathos' body, I found myself listening to "Our Town" by James Taylor. Anyone who has ever seen "Cars" knows what a sad depressing song that is (it played during the bit where Sally wondered about RS' heyday)

Anyway…sorry if it's so choppy…I'm no good at writing weddings, battles, or deaths. The next chapter will be better, heart-promise.