Chapter Thirty-Nine: Greetings and Salutations
The King of Evil stared down at his olive-colored palms in disbelief. "How could this happen?" he whispered to himself. "My plan was foolproof. How could anybody get to her at the top of the tower? And who could possibly have defeated her? She was supposed to be the most powerful sorceress of all time. The prophecy said so. Who could have done this?"
Link cleared his throat audibly, interrupting his enemy's train of thought. "What's the difference Ganondorf? Your reign is finished. Give up now while you still can. Lay down your weapons and surrender."
Ganondorf's eyes flashed red like the almost daily eruptions of Death Mountain. He began to laugh, starting with a quiet chuckle that quickly built up into a raucous guffaw. "You honestly believe that because I've been transformed back into my human form that you can stop me. I'm still infinitely more powerful than you. Do you not remember what's happened in the past when you tried to challenge me? One time, you would have been dead if not for being rescued by that fool of an owl, Kaepora Gaebora. What has changed? Nothing I tell you. You will die boy. I wield the Triforce of Power, and you wield nothing. The gods abandoned you, took the Triforce of Courage from you, and now you stand no chance. Go run and hide. Go back to your forest hovel. Again, I ask you, what has changed?!"
"Everything has changed." Link took a step forward, his face set grimly but determinedly. "All of this time you've been gone, I've been training with the greatest fighter this world has ever known, Orca the eleventh. I may not be able to wield the Master Sword, but I crafted my new blade out of Reflectiver, the most durable and powerful metal there is. It is the metal they used to craft the Mirror Shields millennia ago. One stroke from this is enough to power through any obstacle."
Ganondorf laughed again. "What makes you think that blade will ever even make contact with me. I won't even let you get that far. Now I'm done talking! It is time to finally put an end to you, you annoying pest!" He threw his hands forward, sending out a burst of energy that forced Link backwards. He hit the wall behind him with such a great force that not even its hard, marble surface could slow him down. He was forced through the wall, causing it to crumble and collapse before his eyes. He fell into the grass outside of the Temple of Time dazed and with a shooting pain running up his spine.
Using a nearby tree, he pulled himself to his feet and drew the sword that he had just been describing to his nemesis. It was out not a moment too soon. With another powerful surge of magic, the rubble left by Link's departure from the temple was tossed aside. There stood Ganondorf, his heavily shod feet depressing the grass, still damp from the morning dew. A ball of fire flew out from the King of Evil's right palm, but the Hero of Time was ready for it. He lifted his sword and the attack reflected off of it back towards its source. Ganondorf ducked quickly, allowing the spell to slip through the crack in the structure of the temple behind him.
As soon as the flame disappeared into the building, there was a violent tremor and a blue light shot out of the building, encompassing Ganondorf and Link. The light and earthquake both subsided simultaneously and Ganondorf laughed. "You weren't kidding. That sword is something else. I think I'll use it for myself once you're dead." His lip curled upward in a brutal smirk. He then charged forward, but Link was ready for him.
He grabbed a rock buried in the grass at his feet and threw it at the King of Evil. It was enough of a distraction to force Ganondorf to slow down his attack while he used a spell to obliterate the stone. That was all Link needed to rush forward, sword in hand, and bury his well-honed blade in the Gerudo's sternum. Ganondorf let out a gasp as he crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap, pulling the sword from Link's hand with his incredible weight.
"It's done Navi. It's really done. Look at him. The Reflectiver was strong enough to break through his protective spells and pierce his body. The King of Evil is no more!" So excited by his victory, Link could not help but jump up and down in glee. He hadn't felt so happy since the afternoons he used to share with Saria during his childhood, before Ganondorf, the Triforce, and death came into his life. Suddenly there was a crackling in the bushes to Link's right, twenty feet away from Ganondorf's mangled body. Wondering what it could possibly be, Link turned and walked in that direction. However, he could not even take two steps before he felt his feet pulled out from under him.
He fell to the wet grass below on his belly. He felt hot, stinky breath on the back of his neck. Two powerful hands grasped his shoulders and rolled him over onto his back. There, closer than he had ever been to him, was Ganondorf, the King of Evil, his eyes glittering malevolently. "You actually believed that this sword could stop me. I thought for sure you would know that only the Master Sword can stop me." In his hands was Link's blade, smeared in green blood. The Hero of Time looked at his foe's wound and was shocked to see it healing before his eyes. The hole in his chest sealed up so rapidly that it appeared as if an invisible suture was at work.
"Now let's see if you can survive the same blow you just gave me." Ganondorf raised the weapon above his head and thrust it down into Link's chest. The Hero of Time's flesh gave away like warm butter to a butter knife. He felt the sharpened tip pass all the way through his own back. He could even feel the ground beneath him give way a little bit as the sword was forced into the ground below his body. "Of course. I already knew the answer," laughed the King of Evil. "Only I, the bearer of the Triforce of Power, could survive such a blow. So ends the Hero of Time." He turned his head up to the sky and laughed so hard that his eyes closed.
Navi fluttered down onto Link's chest. "Why didn't you listen to me Link? I tried to tell you," she sobbed.
Link groaned in obvious pain. Trying to speak, he could barely mutter, "I'm s- sorry Navi. I should- should've listened to you." Fighting to keep his eyes open was not easy. He could tell that any second he might not be able to resist the urge to close them and then he would be dead. Just when this urge seemed at its strongest, Link saw something shimmer out of the corner of his eye like a particularly shiny piece of metal. A moment later, there was a flash of sunlight as something reflective passed into his field of view. By the time Link realized what it was, the deed had already been done. Ganondorf, with his eyes closed from his incessant laughter, realized what had happened even later than Link did.
What Link had seen that looked like a shiny piece of metal was exactly that. It was the Master Sword, wielded by an unknown hand. All thoughts of death immediately left Link's mind as he witnessed the mystical, all-powerful blade pierce straight through Ganondorf's temple. The King of Evil's eyes opened in shock, but they were not visible for long before a wall of stone shot up from his feet and encased him, the Master Sword still set firmly into his head. His attacker released the blade of evil's bane and looked down at Link.
What Link saw could have been his twin if not for the apparent ten years that separated them. He was a teenager dressed in a green tunic very similar to the Hero of Time's; in fact, it was actually a little nicer looking. "Sir, are you all right?" the stranger asked.
"I am now," replied Link. "May I see your hand?" The teenager showed his palm, but Link shook his head. "No. The other side," Link gasped. Ganondorf's vanquisher turned his hand around and their, as clear as if it had been tattooed onto the boy's skin, was the stamp of the Triforce of Courage. "So they were right. You came at last. I had doubted it, but I believe it now. And I am proud to say that even though I did not kill Ganondorf, I at least aided you in the process by dispelling the Twilight by using Majora."
"Who's Majora?"
"He's nobody, just a mask."
"Do you mean this? I found it in the grass by the castle." The boy pulled out a vibrantly colored mask from under his tunic.
"Yes. That is it. He is harmless again, now that the Twilight is gone. I had hoped that his blind hatred of Nylania would cause him to look over the fact that with her dead and the Twilight gone, he would lose his body and his power. It worked out perfectly."
The boy was obviously confused, but he managed to ask, "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just like you. I've fought Ganondorf many times in the past up until now. But it was you that at last killed him. So it appears that the Hero of Time must give way to the Hero of Twilight." A harsh fit of coughing overcame Link, forcing blood out of his mouth and down his chin. "What is your name Hero of Twilight?"
"My name? My name is Link."
"Of course. It wouldn't have happened any other way," said the Hero of Time with a smile.
"I don't understand sir."
"Don't worry about it. Just live in peace knowing that you have vanquished the greatest evil Hyrule has ever known. And you must swear to me now that you will protect Hyrule from all evils for the rest of your days. It is your duty as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage to do so, until the gods choose someone else."
"Of course sir. I love Hyrule. I would do anything to protect it."
"You must swear."
"All right. I swear that as long as there is breath in me, I will protect Hyrule from any and all evils."
"Good. Now I can rest in peace, knowing that Hyrule is safe."
"Please Link, don't!" interrupted Navi. "Please don't go. Surely someone can help you."
"No, Navi. It is too late for me. You must let me go. Go, enjoy life. And watch over Saria for me. And don't worry. I have no regrets. I helped defeat Ganondorf once and for all, and that's all I ever wanted to do."
Navi broke down into shrill sobs and fluttered onto her friend's chest, right alongside of his wound.
"Please sir, may I know your name?" asked the younger Link, as he looked away from the fairy in front of him and into the eyes of the man dying before his eyes.
"It's not important." After staring at the new hero for a moment, he said, "You know, we're so much alike young Link, I don't even feel like I'm dying at all." With that, the Hero of Time closed his eyes and took his last breath, knowing that Hyrule would always be taken care of as long as there was Link.
