The Legend of Zelda: Return of the Hero

The Forest Temple

-Together Link and Saria entered the Forest Temple. They knew whatever lay within was the key to stopping the Necromancer. Neither he nor his minors dare step close to the ancient sanctuary.

Link grimaced in pain as Saria clenched his arm in irrational terror. She could not ignore the voice in the back of her mind calling her here nor could she shake the terrible feeling of dread for whatever lay inside. Link also felt a presence lingering within the temple. It reminded him of the aura that Dreygus emitted from the Ausrellian Palace but this felt more distant. It was as if there was a presence behind a veil that he could just barley make out. It was calling to him, yearning to come out.

Link was overcome with a terrible sadness as they entered the portrait room deep within the bowels of the temple. As if fate had dictated someone to suffer here. Without warning Saria fell to her knees in distress. The color drained from her face as her memories flashed back to seven years ago. In another life, one that she remembered clear as day, she saw herself being struck down and killed by a terrifying figure mounted on a black stallion.

Despite nothing in the room of circular portraits, Link knew there was something more beyond what his eyes could tell. Raising his left hand, he concentrated so the Triforce symbol began to glow. Feeling the power pulse within, he moved his hand as if pushing aside an invisible curtain. As he did so a dark figure emerged before them.

Fear gripped Saria as her nightmare came to realization. She felt it course through her body and prevented her from crying out as she froze in place. Link screamed her name but the Forest Maiden was far too lost in herself to hear. The Hero of Time had seen the same look in soldier's faces when they had seen too much on the battlefield. She was in shock. The Emerald Knight wasted no time stepping forward to place himself between Saria and the figure he had just brought forth.

The return of his defeated foe was not one he expected but Link was no stranger to slaying creatures more than once. If Phantom Ganon planned to pause and speak for conversation Link did not give him the opportunity. Without hesitation the Emerald Knight leapt through the air with sword in hand. The duplicate Ganon swung his great trident in defense and his green assailant rebounded to the earth without striking an early finishing blow.

The imposter Ganon brought down his three pronged weapon with furious intent toward his old rival. Rolling out of the way, Link barely missed the savage strike to his person. The firmly planted trident in the earth where he once stood reminded the Hero of Time of the ever lingering shadow waiting to embrace him. Pouncing with the primeval wrath of a starving lion, the Forest Knight gave way to fight rather than flight and unleashed a furious war cry as he hurtled toward Phantom Ganon.

Just as he did seven years ago, Phantom Ganon hid behind a skull mask with a pair of sharp horns on the forehead, adorned with a bright yellow jewel in between. The mask did not include the lower mandible, giving it the appearance of a sinister grin. The black under clothing beneath Ganon's armor covered his neck, hiding away any clue as to what might be underneath had Link not already known.

The Hylian's war cry was matched by one of Ganon's as they hurtled toward one another. Their weapons clashed and they exchanged looks of blood lust before breaking the lock and continuing to strike at one another with old hate. The sound of bashing metal brought Saria out of her stupor and she finally regained enough of her senses to push down the childhood fears of a different past and accept the fact that those events which she remembered had not happened, Link had made sure of it.

The Hero of Time had stopped Ganondorf's alterations to history. He had prevented the preordained seven from meeting their terrible demise which awakened them as eternal guardians. Although Saria's death did not occur as scripted by fate, it did nothing to prevent her destiny from fulfilling. When she awoke one day to find herself the Forest Sage, Saria knew she was running on borrowed time. Each second was a blessed gift from the friend fighting beside her now.

Steeling to repay the favor, Saria called forth her power and summoned the thorn-vine whips she so lovingly favored. This time however she thought to add something extra for her would-be-killer. Thorns with hallucinating venom would certainly make things interesting for Phantom Ganon.

Ganon thrust forth with his trident and released a sphere of dark energy towards Link. The Forest Knight did not raise his shield in time against the unexpected attack and was thrown backward by the explosion. Saria was quick to lash out with her whips in response. Phantom Ganon dodged and deflected the flailing lines, careful not to let one wrap around his staff or hands.

Link grunted as he stood back up, watching as Saria hurtled into the offense. For a moment he was taken back by the realization that she too was as formidable warrior, no longer a helpless child but gifted by destiny to fight, for better or worst she had changed. Link gathered his footing and joined his oldest friend in the fray.

Phantom Ganon fell back knowing the Forest Sage was trying to lock him in place so the Hero of Time could utilize his sword in close quarters. Link entered striking distance and the sorcerer clone surprised them both by vaulting in a back flip to unnatural height and using the wall as a springboard. Link watched in terror as Phantom Ganon flew over his head and hurtled toward Saria with his trident extended.

Saria lay with her eyes wide open staring at the ceiling. She didn't need to look down and see it; she could feel the foreign object impaling her body. Saria gasped for breath but it didn't hurt, her entire torso had simply gone numb. Link roared like a wounded animal, his eyes focused in horror at the trident pinning Saria to the ground while Phantom Ganon stood with his back turned, admiring his handiwork. With a firm grasp he pulled the staff from her body. The Forest Maiden gasped and coughed up blood as it was removed. There was no pain, only an exhaustion which threatened to carry her away. Her eyes trickled with tears and she thought she heard something but her head was simply too heavy to move and look.

The Forest Knight moved to attack with a savage and primeval fury. Ganon met his attack with parries and blocks of his own. The assault was one of pure rage. Link struck blow after blow uncaring as to where it went so long as he found an opening. Ganon moved with precision, patiently waiting for his opponent to make a fatal mistake. It came when Link over extending himself in a lunge.

Phantom Ganon struck at his exposed back without mercy. The pain brought Link back to reality and calmed his blood rage. The gash was deep and bloody. Phantom Ganon watched as Link stumbled and fell face down next to Saria. The Forest Child released his sword and grasped for Saria's hand.

When he found it he squeezed tightly. Ganon began to ponder the ever closeness of death as he watched the green warriors fade away together. Reflecting on his own pleas and cries for the Reaper while trapped in the living hell found in between dimensions, Phantom Ganon did not notice Link's other hand shuffling around his belt. The red streak spinning around the pair caught his attention and he screamed in bloody rage as it fled with pink mist trailing behind. It was too late and the damage was done. Link and Saria rose from the ground renewed with energy and their wounds mended. The red healing fairy had saved their lives.

Roaring in outrage Phantom Ganon ran forward with his trident ready to throw like a javelin. Saria was quicker to respond and gave a lash that entwined her attacker with her botanical cord. The thorny vine wrapped around Ganon but not before he threw his trident first. It sailed at her with deadly precision and again her life began to flash before her eyes. Her thoughts lingered to the moment days ago when Link had returned after so long.

Saria's vision blackened as an incredible force struck her. Ganon fell forward with his arms and legs locked together by the vine. He saw that his throw would have found its mark had Link not tackled Saria out of the way. The Hylian did not escape unscathed as one of the prongs scraped along his back. A small price Link was willing to pay a thousand fold.

The Forest Maiden opened her eyes to darkness from Link's body still shielding her. Rising off her, Link saw Phantom Ganon struggling with his bonds. The whip was wrapped around him like a snake and twisting only caused the thorns to dig in deeper. Saria took his offered hand with stunned gratitude. For a second time today he saved her life.

Ignoring the pain in his back, Link knew they could ill afford to waste time. Clone or not Phantom Ganon was still a powerful sorcerer and could hardly be expected to be held long by a botanical cord, magical or not. Rolling him over with a degrading boot, Link placed the tip of his blade to Ganon's throat.

"Do it. Kill me. Nothing can be worst than the hell I came from."

Link looked upon his fallen opponent with an unreadable expression, "I am not here to end your life Ganon. I am here to offer you freedom."

Confusion filled the sorcerer's mind. "What?"

"Your master saw you as nothing more than a tool and a pawn, an object to be discarded on a whim. In exchange for your life I offer you a chance to seek revenge."

The Hero of Time looked upon his dire foe with the utmost seriousness, revealing no hint of betrayal or deception in his words.

Ganon met his serious gaze with one of his own. "I am nothing but a mere shadow of my master's power. What makes you think I can help you defeat him?"

"There is an entire kingdom out to kill him. Either way the choice is yours. Freedom in loyalty or freedom in death.

"Very well, I accept your terms. I Phantom Ganon, Son of the Desert Shadow, born of the Ancient Sands, Servant of the Sand Goddess, Wielder of the Great Trident, pledge my loyalty to you Hero of Time... How do you know I won't betray you?"

"Because if I even think you're having thoughts of treachery I'll send you back to the void between dimensions."

Ganon stared back into the piercing blue eyes and knew he spoke the truth.

Leaving him to linger on the statement, Link moved his blade away from Ganon and told Saria, "Release him."