A great roar echoed, shaking the floor under foot. Blinding flashes of light shone through each window of the long, twisting staircase. A powerful storm was raging outside the black castle walls, but no matter how hard the wind blew or how bright the lightening busted there was not single drop of rain. Link wasn't too surprise, as he watch the storm through cracks of glass that they went past. The wasteland that Link and Meeko had arrived in was an arid and lifeless region…if there was ever water in that place it had disappeared centuries ago. To Link, it was terrifying thought. If they were in Hyrule's future then what had happen? Link just hoped Meeko was right, that the whole notion was a joke and…Meeko and he were in some Gods forsaken part of the world……not in their homeland…
…Holy Nayru, the maiden thought to herself, How high did Ganondorf build his stupid castle?! To Meeko the stair just kept turn and turn…with no end in sight…sigh…It must have been a good twenty minutes since Link and her left their cell and went on this journey into the dark sky. The girl's feet were beginning to get tender from all the climbing (walking) and the pace the Lizalfos were moving at didn't help at all. She looked over to Link, he just fine with all walking, of course, and was pleasantly looking outside at the pretty little rain clouds…grrhh!! Damn Link and his casual behavior, Meeko thought silently,…though he could just be distracting his view from what was in front of us (Lizalfos butts) or what was behind us (Lizalfos teeth). Maybe this was part of their torture, but the deadly 'Walking Forever Up' method didn't sound too evil to Meeko.
The procession stopped at a massive door made of metal and covered in rust. It must have been an impressing sight when the door was new and the steel was polished…now it was decrepit shell of a door that could not hold up against a stiff gust. The rusted metal began to scrape against the stone floors as the door slowly opened and reviled the room within. The view that met Link's and Meeko's eyes was that of dark chamber, a black void that sucked the all light away. Their capturs shoved the two into the dark room as they stayed within the light of the staircase. Suddenly the door slammed shut and the chamber became illuminated with thousand candles…
"Aaaahhh…so our little hero and his friend have decided to join me…" It was Ganondorf, setting in a decadent throne that fit him perfectly. Link couldn't help but be reminded of that moment again, facing Ganondorf in Hyrule's royal throne-room, the same smirk covered his face as then, "Now we have a chance to have a more civilized conversation."
"Don't give me that bull…" Link growled back, "You wouldn't know 'civilized' if it smacked you on the face!"
"DON'T…SASS ME, BOY!!" exploded Ganondorf, causing Link and Meeko to flinch as though his voice carried pain, "I did not spare you so that I may hear your insolence……You are…my guests. And as a good host, I allow you to experience the few luxuries lift in this world. Ah yes…and take your sword…you left it in me a little while ago…geh heh heh…"
Ganondorf reached beside him and lackadaisically tossed Link's blade. The sword skidded across the floor and halted in front of Link. Reluctant to take up the weapon and move his gaze away from his enemy, Link remained still. Meeko on the other hand, feeling a little useless, bent down and grabbed the weapon with both hands and gave it to Link (like she could swing that heavy thing). The spectacle released a small laugh from Ganondorf…
"Geh heh heh……Is that the reason the hero has you with him, little girl? To pickup his sword?!" the evil lord mocked with a smile, but the smile changed to a frown, "No…of course it's not. You seem to have a power that has vanished some time ago…"
"Vanished?!" Meeko asked in shock, "B-but…the power of the maidens never fades! It is as eternal as the Sages themselves."
"Geh heh heh…You haven't quite realized yet just where…or when you are…" Ganondorf countered arrogantly as he stood from seat, "Should I tell you…Geh heh, maybe just to see the look on your faces!"
Ganondorf began to walk down the ruin scraps of cloth that once had been a rug. Down to where Link and Meeko were standing.
"Over a millennium ago…I raided the castle of Hyrule…but failed…and was imprisoned for a short time. When I returned to take revenge on the kingdom…and what I found was a land…DEVASTATED. To say the least, I was stunned! It had only been a few months since I escaped and Hyrule had turned into the wasteland you see now…"
"But how…" Meeko was at a lost of words. Link's suspicions were right…they were still in a Hyrule…a deform corpse of it……
"What could have done this…" Link asked himself, but Ganondorf was all too happy to answer…
"Geh heh heh! Now there's the question I was waiting for…" Ganondorf replied with insane grin, "…because…for once…I'm not to blame!
"In the centuries after my return to Hyrule, I have spent countless hours delve into this mystery…and what I found was unsettling……The desolation that rots Hyrule was done in a single moment, a spilt second in time that brought death to every living creature in the domain. My investigation leaded me to one man…a sorcerer that hailed from Basileia…"
"Bas-ileia…?" The word was foreign to Link's tongue, but there was something familiar about it…
"Basileia is country far to the west…" Meeko whispered to Link, "It's a kingdom made of islands along the western coast…Hyrule's only had limited connects with them."
The cyclone of information took a minute to settle in Link's mind. New countries, the distortion of Hyrule, revelations of a sorcerer behind the scenes……wait a minute…
"You said that a sorcerer was the one that turned Hyrule in a desert…" Link had a pretty good idea who, but he had to be sure, "What was his nam-"
But before Link could a finish, a great rumbling began to shake the entire castle. The three shifted back and forth, trying to keep a footing, as the ancient stonework loosened from the walls to the floors. The storm outside tore apart the fortifications around them, opening the three to the black wasteland. The rumbling ceased…and a voice shone through darkness……
"Keh keh keh……Ganondorf…you know better than to steal someone else's pets…"
"YOU BASTARD!!" Ganondorf blasted at the voice, "WHY DON'T YOU STOP YOUR COWARDING AND FACE ME!!"
"Now, now little thief…"
Link was beginning to recognize the voice now…it was the same voice that haunted mists of the forest……The black cloaked man who desired Eternity's power
"…Rinkar!"
"Impressive, Link…" a figure appeared yard or so away from trio, back turned, "…You found out my name...and it only took you ten hundred years to do so…keh keh keh…"
The man swiveled around and peered at the group. Rinkar still wear his dark cloak, but this time his hood was fully retracted, reviling a pale white face: Rinkar had a broad bone-structure to his face, with a strong, square jaw and a nose that stuck out straight with a small hump. His hairline was somewhat receded from age and in the middle of Rinkar's forehead was a symbol of two triangles, touching each other at the point, creating an hourglass. Black, dead eyes matched equally black hair that fall down just before shoulder length.
"Rinkar!! You ridicule fool!" Ganondorf exclaimed as took a confident step forward, "Geh heh heh! You should know better than to walk into the den of a lion!"
"…Ganon…what did you hope to accomplish by capturing these two…" Rinkar inquired lowly, almost sounding bored, "Did you think that I have some…value for these insects…"
"I knew you would come! Even if it was to kill them…" Ganondorf responded as rose his hands skyward, "Now is my chance…to rid this world of YOU!!"
"Keh keh keh!! Did you think that another piece of the Triforce would somehow…boost your magic high enough to trouble me?! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"No, retch…" a small hum started as Ganondorf's Triforce lit up on his hand, "I learned long ago that the power of the Gods is meaningless to you……"
Soon the humming turned to shrieking as thousand of lights started to fly from underneath them. Each light took on its own scream and faces began to form…these weren't simple lights.
"These are the souls of the dead…" Meeko teased out loud as the lights whirled the King of Evil.
"Geh heh heh!!" Ganondorf was cackling like a madman, "Witness, Rinkar!! Witness…as I end you…and place my rule over the land!!"
The shrieking was deafening now…as the soul collected together in Ganondorf's hands. Space itself began to buckle by the shear force. The ground around them altered form, moving up and down like waves on the sea…all the while the shrieking grew louder and louder……then stopped…No explosion, no world-destroying blast…silence…as Rinkar griped Ganondorf's throat (wait, what?).
"You pathetic diminutive worm…" Rinkar tightened his hold, causing the dark lord to fall to his knees, "Did you really think that I…feared…you……You are nothing. You lived this long because it was my will…never your own…"
The sound of his enemy's gasps for air jolted Link into action. Even if Ganondorf was evil, Link couldn't allow this superior evil to win. Charging forward at full speed, sword raised, Link prepared to slash his foe to ribbons…only to be flung back by a wall of green energy. Rinkar didn't even flinch.
"…You ranted on and on about my end, Ganondorf…" Rinkar continued, "Now…it is time…for yours. Your long life has run its course…"
The green energy that held back Link reappeared and wrapped around the dark king, seeping into his pores. Ganondorf began to change. First his muscular mass shrunk, then his hair grew at a rapid rate and toned gray. The change was slow and agonizing to watch…the great lord of evil was turn from the terrifying Gerudo warrior to a feeble old man.
"No……" Ganondorf wheezed as reached for Rinkar neck. Rinkar, of course, merely flicked it away.
"I think I'll stop there, Ganon…" Rinkar said as dropped the elderly Ganondorf to the ground. Then Rinkar raised a foot over form king's head and with just enough strength…stomped down, creating a sickening CRACK as it hit Ganondorf's face. Moment of silence creped over the remaining three...then the hero spoke...
"…wha…WHAT THE HELL!!" Link roared. Rinkar turned towards him slightly confused, "You said that…you said that you had stopped!!"
"Oh?" Rinkar looked away as he tried to remember what he had said, reacting as though it was minor mistake, "……Yes…I believe your right…I did say I'd stop…keh keh keh……oh well…"
"YOU DAMN BASTARD!!"
While Link and Rinkar were exchanging words, Meeko found herself staring at the frail corpse of the King of Evil…ex-King of Evil. A bloody impress from Rinkar's boot lay across his face, starting from his left ear all the way to his mouth. Meeko noticed that the Ganondorf skin had became darker…perhaps…maybe from the many wrinkles that lined his face now. His eyes had changed to…no longer fiery orange…they transformed into a dull ginger color…looking out into the nothingness…
"Now…as for you two…" Rinkar began, breaking Meeko's gaze, "Seeing that you have no use or entertaining value…"
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!!" Meeko cried out, the lunacy of moment finally catching up, "HOW CAN LIVE THIS WAY……Is all the world like this wasteland…DEAD!! Is this only reason that you're here for?! To wipe out EVERYTHING!"
Rinkar could have killed them both right then and there…but he stayed his hand…and answered the young maiden's question, "This isn't an ending, Meeko……it is a prelude! I determined long ago that this world was CORRUPT. Crime, vanity…destruction of the old, pollution of the new…war after endless war…NO MORE…I have purified the land of narcissistic states and single-minded races……the world has been swept away of undesirable and made room for more admirable."
Rinkar declaration hid the true horror of his actions. Link and Meeko both knew, after seeing is blatant disregard of life when eliminating Ganondorf…Hyrule and the entire planet was rotting cadaver of itself former self. Anyone who had opposed Rinkar was guilty and judge to die……and in his own twisted logic everyone was against him…the world was in hands of maniac…
Rinkar raised his left arm, straightening it at Meeko and Link, satisfied with the answer he gave them. To him, now that they knew the truth then death would be easier……The strange green enveloped into a ball in Rinkar's hand, creating the same space distortions Ganondorf had made only much faster and more hostile. The satanic grin that Link had only heard in there last encounter was now perfectly clear across the tyrant's lips.
An unexpected flash of white overtook the pair's vision and the next thing Link knew was that he face down on a hard surface……
"Link…Hero of Time……and Meeko…Heir of the Light Sage……stand and face your destiny!"
Author Note: There's a poll on my profile...please look at it.
Edited 9/17/2008: Wow! This one was probably the worst of the chapters that needed editing. I should probably take that poll off, I made my decison.
