~Green Eyed Gerudo
PrologueWe're never gonna make it in time.
Link had just defeated Ganondorf – or at least, he thought he had. As soon as he had freed Zelda from her imprisonment, the castle starting rumbling powerfully, knocking chunks of rocks from the ceilings and walls, causing some of the rocks to catch flames. According to Zelda, Ganondorf was trying to crush them with his last breath, and they needed to hurry and escape before the whole castle collapsed on them.
Link looked around nervously.
"Um, Princess Zelda??" he asked, eyeing the barred door. Zelda quickly darted towards him, sweat forming on her brow. She stared at the barred door for a minute, as if trying to remember something. Finally, she smiled and put her hands up in the air, mumbling something in ancient Hylian. The bars immediately disappeared. Link looked at her in surprise. "How did you??" Zelda offered him a weak smile.
"During Ganondorf's seven year reign, Impa was training me in the fields of magic." She gasped as a chunk of rock engulfed in flames fell from the ceiling and missed Link's head by inches. "We must hurry, Link!!" She said quickly. With that, she lifted the bottom of her dress and ran as fast he she could. Link quickly followed behind.
The two seemed to dart through the hallways without getting hit successfully for the most part, until they made it to one room. Zelda had quickly darted over to one area of the room and turned to Link expectantly. As Link approached her, flames spurted up out of nowhere, encircling the princess completely.
"Princess Zelda!!" Link shouted, dashing over to her to get as close as he could without touching the flames. Zelda's attention wasn't focused on Link, though….it was off to Link's left.
"Link, look out!!" she cried, gasping as Link quickly sidestepped out of the way of a blade. Link turned around and glared.
"Stalfos." He muttered. There were two of them. Although the skeleton creatures looked fierce and actually fought quite well, they were no match for the Hero of Time. Link took them out easily, causing the flames that had encircled Zelda to disappear. Zelda quickly darted over to him and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you, Link. Now let's hurry!!" she said, darting towards the next door. Link touched the cheek she had kissed and blushed. Shaking his head to snap out of it, he dashed towards the princess, who was already opening the barred door for them.
The two darted through the next few rooms in silence, until at the entrance, where one ReDead was waiting.
"Link!!" Zelda cried as the ReDead began advancing towards her. Link quickly shot it with his Longshot before it could shriek, which would cause both of them to be frozen in place. His aim was true and it jabbed the ReDead in the head, causing it to stiffen and at the same time, causing Link to go flying towards it. Link kicked it in the face as he flew towards it and yanked the hook out. Link quickly stuffed the Longshot in his pouch and stabbed the ReDead in the stomach with the Master Sword – The Blade of Evil's Bane – and he quickly sheathed it and darted over to Zelda, who had already opened the way and was waiting expectantly.
As the two entered the next room, Zelda suddenly collapsed.
"Princess Zelda!!" Link shouted, barely catching her. He squatted down with her in his arms and looked at her in concern. She looked up at him through tired, blue eyes. Navi fluttered over their heads concernedly.
"Link, I can't do this. I used too much magic. My energy is so drained!!" she whispered, tears staining her face. Link looked ahead. There was only one more flight of stairs to go and one more door to unbar. Then they'd be free. But time was running out. The castle was shaking uncontrollably now, and statues were starting to fall over and when Link looked up, he could see the dark clouds in the gloomy sky due to the gaping holes in the ceiling. He looked Zelda in the eyes.
"Yes you can. I know you can. Look, we're almost there!! Just one more!!" he told her, pointing. Zelda continued to cry.
"Link, if we live through this, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I dragged you into this whole mess. I never thought it would go this far." She whispered. Link smiled lightly at her.
"Apology accepted." He said sincerely. The two stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds until they were interrupted by a squeaky voice above.
"Um, sorry to ruin this beautiful moment, but we need to get out of this castle like….NOW!!!!" Navi squealed, flying around crazily. With newfound strength, Zelda began to lift herself up. Link stood up and took her hand in his and the two darted up the last flight of stairs, Navi zooming behind. Zelda drew in a deep breath and focused all her attention on the barred door. With a lift of her hands and a single word in ancient Hylian, the bars lifted up, revealing to them their exit. Link grabbed Zelda's hand and the two dashed out as fast as they could.
As they dashed out, Link turned around in shock and watched as the whole castle collapsed in on itself, causing dust to rise everywhere. Link felt someone pull on his arm. It was Zelda, trying to lead him away. The two dashed towards the edge of the little piece of land they were on, which was over a pool of lava. The two shielded each other's eyes as multiple implosions of the castle echoed around the empty streets of Hyrule Castle Town. Suddenly there was a loud bang and then everything was silent. Everything except the wind, which was howling sinisterly. Link and Zelda opened their eyes and stood up slowly. The whole castle was in ruins, and Ganondorf had went with it!!
"Good riddance." Link mumbled, glaring at the remains of Ganondorf's castle.
"It's over!! It's finally over!!" Zelda shouted happily. Link's glare faded into a smile as he turned around to look at the woman beside him. Link and Zelda gave each other a long hug before pulling back. Link leaned forward in an attempt to kiss her, but Navi suddenly zoomed out from underneath his hat right in between their faces.
"Hey, Link…." Navi said sadly. Navi fluttered inches above their heads and began circling them. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you in the battle before." She said, referring to the previous fight Link had had with Ganondorf in the castle. The waves of darkness were so strong, she couldn't get close. Link smiled and shrugged it off before turning his attention back to Zelda, who smiled up at him. Just as Link was about to lean forward again, there was a big boom that seemingly came from the rubble. Zelda gasped and Link instinctively stepped in front of her protectively. The two stared at the remains of the castle, but nothing happened.
"What was that sound??" Zelda whispered, shaking visibly.
Link pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "Stay here. I'll go check it out." Zelda looked back at the rubble in paranoia but nodded. Link turned his attention back to the rubble and began to advance towards it, Navi zooming close behind.
Just as Link took no more than two steps away from Zelda, a loud gasp from Zelda made him turn around and look. A wall of fire was suddenly encircling the whole platform they were on, separating him and Zelda. Suddenly there was another loud boom, causing Zelda to gasp again. Link turned around again.
Suddenly something burst through the rubble, sending chunks of wall and rock flying everywhere. Link gasped and glared at Ganondorf, who was floating about twenty feet in the air. He was breathing heavily, his eyes had turned a solid orange-gold color, making him look more psychotic than ever.
"But how??" Navi wondered out loud. Ganondorf must have heard her, and he held out the back of his right hand, which still showed the Triforce of Power, answering their question as to why he was still alive.
Ganondorf suddenly threw his arms out and screamed, whether in rage or in pain, Link couldn't tell. Link, Zelda, and Navi had to shield their eyes as a bright blue light formed around Ganondorf. Suddenly the light faded, and Link unshielded his eyes and gasped at what he saw. Standing in place of Ganondorf was a huge pig-looking creature. What differentiated it from its pig-like face was that it was very muscular, it had two large horns that curved around once, it stood on two legs, and it didn't have a twisted tail like a pig. He was also a greenish-black color and wielded two long swords.
Link could tell that it was Ganondorf because it still had those gleaming, blood-thirsty eyes and Ganondorf's clothes were still on it, although ripped, so they now fit like a loincloth.
"Ganon." Navi whispered.
Ganon roared in anger and begun swinging its swords around madly. Link immediately put the Master Sword up to shield himself from it, but he lost his grip, causing the Master Sword to go spiraling through the air. Link turned and watched it, praying that it wouldn't fall into the lava below. Both luckily and unfortunately, it landed on the platform, but just outside the ring of fire where Zelda was standing. Another unfortunate thing was that it embedded itself in the ground, so the only one who could pull it out was Link. Link turned to Navi, who was zooming above his head.
"There's no way he's going to hold me back again!! This time, we fight together." She declared boldly. Link gave her a brief nod and turned to stare up at Ganon, the determination obvious in his cerulean blue eyes. Ganon roared threateningly and stared down at Link. The battle was on.
Link began to search his magical pouch (it could fit anything and unlimited things in it) for something to substitute his Master Sword.
"Watch out!!" Navi shouted. Link groaned and quickly rolled out of the way of one of Ganon's long swords. Instead of hitting Link, the sword swung into a pillar, breaking it in half and causing chunks of rock to fly everywhere.
Link noted that the new Ganon was pretty slow on his feet, so Link darted far away to check his pouch for a proper weapon. Navi immediately caught on to what Link was doing and she flew just out of Ganon's reach. "Hey you!! Look up here ya ugly pig!!" Navi shouted, sticking her blue tongue out at him in an attempt to distract him to give Link more time to search for a weapon.
Even though Ganon didn't seemed that fazed by Navi (he merely swung at her with one sword weakly, as if trying to swat away a fly), by then Link had already found a good sword substitute – the Megaton Hammer.
"Okay Navi, what are his weak spots??" Link called out, eyeing the monster that was quickly making its way towards him. Navi began to check Ganon over from the front.
"I have no idea." She admitted after about four seconds.
"Do you think you can look for one??" Link shouted, ducking underneath another swing of one of Ganon's swords. Link quickly pounded one of Ganon's hooves, but that only angered Ganon and didn't seem to actually hurt him. He roared in anger and tried to horizontally slice Link's head off. Link dove out of the way, but the blade ended up grazing his left arm – his sword arm. Zelda screamed from the other side of the battlefield.
"Navi??" Link screamed, getting up on his feet. He quickly dashed out of the way as Ganon struck another pillar with his sword in an attempt to get it to crush Link.
"Hmmm…." Navi said to herself. Ganon quickly dashed forward (he seemed to be gaining speed every time he missed Link), giving Navi a clear view of his tail. "Aha!! The tail!!" she shouted, zooming over to Link. "Link, try the tail." She told him. Link looked up at the large monster, who had begun swinging its swords around madly again.
"Like that's gonna be easy!!" Link muttered. With that, he waited for Ganon to make its move. Ganon swung its sword, and Link dove out of the way and slid right behind the monster. With all his might (even with his sore arm), he pounded the tail with his hammer. He hit with such force, it caused the monster to roar in pain as its tail was hammered into the ground, causing it to lose its footing and trip, sending one of its swords flying over the edge of the platform.
Once Ganon was on the floor writhing in pain, the flames encircling the platform died out. Navi and Zelda called Link over to retrieve the Master Sword. Link quickly darted over to them and put the hammer back in its pouch. Link stared down at the sword as he put his hands around the hilt, remembering the first time seven years ago he had done this. Finally he yanked the sword out of the ground with ease, swinging it happily.
"Ah!!" Link cried, clutching his left arm. Tears sprung into Zelda's eyes as she examined his wound.
"Oh, Link." She whimpered. Link shrugged it off with a smile.
"I've been hurt worse." He informed her.
"Well here." She said, ripping the left sleeve off her dress and tying it around his arm for him. "This should suppress the bleeding for the time being."
"Thanks, Princess." He told her with a friendly smile. Navi fluttered over to them.
"But your sword arm–" Navi began.
"Ah, don't worry. We'll just have to see how well I do with my right arm!!" Link said optimistically, depositing the Master Sword in his right hand. He gave an experimental swing, but it looked really clumsy.
"Oh my goddesses, you're gonna get yourself killed!!" Navi shouted, causing Zelda to give her a reproving look. "Link, perhaps you should use the hammer again??" she suggested.
"No, he must finish off the evil king with the Sacred Sword." Zelda told her. "Like in the legend." She said. She put her hand on Link's right arm and held it up for him. "Use this sword to deliver the final blow." She said. Link smiled and nodded.
"Will do, Princess!!" he said, darting towards Ganon. Zelda turned and frowned at Navi when he was out of earshot.
"Navi, did you have to tell him he was going to get himself killed??" she asked. Navi started playing with her hair nervously as she watched Link dash off.
"I'm just….just….I'm just so worried, Princess Zelda!!" she admitted, her voice shaky. "I mean, I know there were multiple accounts on which Link has proven me wrong in a battle before, but this?? This is the real deal!! It's the final showdown!! And his dominant arm is injured and he's out of health fairies and potions. Things don't look so good." Zelda frowned and turned back to watch the fight.
Just as Link stepped away from the two, the flames shot back up just as Ganon balanced himself on his remaining sword to lift himself back up. Link swung with his right arm at Ganon's tail as best he could, though it was sort of clumsy looking.
The blow was enough to make Ganon roar in pain, but it wasn't enough to injure him further. It also, unfortunately, was enough to make Ganon angry enough to turn and punch Link in the stomach with a huge fist. Link was sent flying and crashing into a pillar. Link looked up in defeat as Ganon slowly approached him.
Zelda screamed from afar and fell to her knees, tears pouring down her face. "Oh Navi, what have I done??" she cried, causing Navi to cry, too.
Link knew that things looked bad at that point. But he was the Hero of Time; there had to be some way out of that situation.
Link suddenly looked to his left and smiled. A lone Deku Nut. He had no idea what it was doing there, unless it had fallen out of his pouch. Link subtly scooped it up in his left hand and waited. You only have one shot at this, so you better not screw it up. He thought to himself as Ganon approached him.
When he was living with the Kokiri, he used to play catch and stuff with the other kids. He knew he had a very good throwing arm. Unfortunately, his dominant arm was now injured. This thought triggered a quick flashback.
"Don't listen to Mido, Link. If he knows he's getting to you, he'll keep bullying you!!" Saria told him as they entered her house. Saria washed her hands in the sink then began taking random cooking utensils and ingredients out of the cupboards.
Link took a seat at Saria's little circular table. Every day Saria had him come over for lunch. Link looked down sadly, displeased with himself.
"It seems every day that Mido comes up with a new reason to try to prove that I'm not Kokirish." He whispered. Saria tied on a pink apron and used a match to light the stove. After a few minutes she broke the silence.
"So what if you're the only left-handed person living in the forest?? That hardly makes you less Kokirish." Saria turned the stove off after a few more minutes and began to pour something in a bowl, but Link wasn't paying much attention. Finally she turned around and brought Link a quill and a piece of parchment. "I'm the only Kokiri here who's ambidextrous." She told him. Link looked at her confusedly.
"What's 'ambidistress'??" eight year-old Link asked, causing Saria to giggle.
"Ambidextrous." She corrected him. "It means that I can use both my hands to do stuff, such as writing." She told him.
"Really?? You're the only Kokiri who can do that??" Link asked in surprise. Saria nodded and dipped her quill into the ink bowl. Link watched closely as she wrote her name with her right hand: Saria. She then proceeded to write it with her left hand: Saria.
"See??" she exclaimed, showing him. Link looked up at her.
"Hey, Saria. Do you think if I practice real hard, I can become 'ambledextrous' like you??" he asked, causing Saria to laugh again and ruffle his dark blond hair.
"Sure you can, if you practice at it." She said before walking back to the kitchen. Link then proceeded to write his name on the parchment with his right hand, but it looked really sloppy. Link practiced writing with his right hand for about a minute until Saria brought him a bowl of steaming hot soup. "I made your favorite, Link. Elixir soup!!" she said, stirring it up for him. Link jumped up and gave Saria a hug.
"Thank you, Saria." He said politely, folding the parchment up and handing it along with the quill and ink to Saria.
"You're welcome." She said, putting the ink, parchment, and quill away. She then took her apron off, poured herself some soup, and sat down across from Link to eat. A minute later, she looked up. Link was already done and he was smiling at her expectantly. "Would you like some more??" Link shook his head no. Saria smiled at him. "You're going to practice being ambidextrous, aren't you??" she asked, and Link smiled and nodded. Saria laughed. "You know, you don't really write too often, so try being ambidextrous on something that suits your interests more. Like throwing a ball. Don't you play catch with Fado and Makar every Monday morning??" Link nodded. "Well maybe you can practice throwing the ball with your right arm." Link smiled.
"Do you think I can really do it??" Link asked. Saria looked him in the eye.
"Link, I believe you can do anything you put your mind to. I mean that." She told him honestly. Link smiled again.
"Thanks, Saria."
Link smiled to himself as he deposited the Deku Nut in his right hand. He looked up at Ganon one last time. Just as Ganon swung his sword back for power, Link chucked the Deku Nut straight at his left eye….with his right arm.
Ganon dropped his sword in surprise and started stomping around in pain. Link saw this as his chance and quickly dove behind the beast and brought the Master Sword down with all his might, actually chopping the tip of the monster's tail off. Ganon roared in pain and fell to the floor again, causing the flames to die out. Suddenly Ganon was showered with light. Link turned around to see Zelda, and yellow light was shooting from her hands.
"I'm using my power to hold the evil king. You use your sword and deliver the final blow!!" she shouted. Suddenly her light ceased, and she panted heavily. Suddenly the Master Sword glowed bright blue, ready for a fight. Link ran over the sliced at Ganon's face three times, and Ganon crawled forward just as Link drove it in between his eyes for the fourth final blow. The Master Sword slid out easily and the beast began writhing in pain. "Six sages!! NOW!!" Zelda cried, falling to her knees in exhaustion.
***
Zelda and Link found themselves back at the Temple of Time. They exchanged glances and smiled.
"Thank you, Link." Zelda told him. "Thanks to you, peace will once again reign in this world….for a time."
"I couldn't have done it without you." Link told her with a smile. Zelda smiled but then frowned.
"All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing." She whispered. Link frowned.
"What do you mean??" he asked.
"I was so young, I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm. I dragged you into it, too." Link shook his head.
"You didn't drag me into anything. I agreed to it." he told her. Zelda smiled.
"Yes, but I think it is time for me to make up for my mistakes." Link listened intently. "You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time." She said. Link nodded.
"Sure thing, Princess." He told her. Then he smiled. "And then after, we can be together??" he asked. Zelda looked down sadly.
"I'm afraid things are not that simple." She whispered.
"What do you mean??" Link asked.
"Link, give me the ocarina." She told him. Link took a step back.
"What for??" he asked, clutching it protectively.
"Well, as a sage, I can return you to your original time with it." She said. Link looked down at the little blue clay ocarina in his hand. He looked up suddenly.
"What if I don't want to return to my original time??" he asked. Zelda frowned.
"Don't you want to regain your lost time??" Link looked down at the ocarina again, weighing his options.
"In my original time, the only one I had was Saria." He whispered. "Now that she's a sage, I know I'll be able to still see her. Not often, of course, but I will be able to see her. Princess Zelda, other than her, I had no family, no friends….my life at the forest was a living hell." He said, causing the princess to cringe slightly at his choice of words. Navi fluttered up from under his hat again.
"Um, please excuse his language, Princess Zelda." Navi said quickly. She then turned to Link and glared. "Link, give her the ocarina….please??" she whispered. Link looked down at the ocarina again. Finally he looked up at Zelda.
"If you send me to my original time, I'll be in the forest." He said. Zelda nodded. "So, once you send me back, can I come find you??" Zelda's eyes widened but she nodded slowly. Link hesitantly placed the ocarina in her hand.
"Go home, Link." She whispered. "Home, where you are supposed to be. The way you are supposed to be."
"Princess Zelda, wait….will I remember everything??" Link asked, but the princess had already begun to play a sweet melody. Blue light suddenly surrounded Link as he was slowly lifted off the ground. When Zelda finished playing, she looked up at him.
"Thank you, Link. Goodbye." She whispered. Suddenly Link's vision turned black.