A/N: so today I will finally explain how Ganondorf was able to return and, though Ganondorf might be dead, there is still the battle for the fortress itself, which needs to be addressed. I hope you all will have a brilliant week, and thank you so much for reading!

Arison Nakaru: It would make a pretty epic plot twist that may or may not happen a bit later. Thank you!

Yami no Nokutan: Don't worry, you shall know about Link soon enough. XP nice dialogue it was pretty funny. I agree with you about Ganondorf, but in the zodiac isn't a pig also optimistic, kindhearted, generous, and honorable? which is just a bit off I think XP but the other part fits totally, they are drawn to luxury too aren't they. Thank you for the review!

silverheartlugia2000: Aww thank you! You shall find out this chapter, but Link and Jade are strong.

CupcakePride101: Thank you! And I am glad the battle turned out to your liking. Your welcome! It was fun to add that. Nobody loves the evil fat greedy pig? XP thanks again!

Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: That is really cool to know. I really like having my characters names mean things in my books, I don't do that much in fanfic though because most names are already established. Rhydd though is a cross (pronunciation wise) between Reed (English, meaning a red-head) and Raied (Arabic, meaning leader) and a Xiphos is a Grecian short sword XP Thanks for the cool info and for the review!

LovelyKiridia: I am really glad that you liked it :3 hearing that makes my day! I love reading books whist snuggling somewhere comfy and drinking tea XP I agree with you about the animals. I picked a mountain lion because I think I pictured her to be more feline in her attributes than bird-like. I pictured her to be something regal, graceful, yet ferocious when she had to be I suppose that could also fit a bird of prey but I was always thinking along the line of cat. (her eyes are pretty mountain-lion like in shape I think) In heraldry a wildcat means vigilance and foresight. Also mountain lions and other cats have a fixed territory that they name their own and they are always watchful guarding and protecting the borders of their land like a ruler. Also Zelda has never struck me as being able to fly free or soar like an eagle as she is pretty 'land bound' by all her duties and obligations. You are right that an eagle would fit her pretty nicely though (it was actually my second choice)

staticblast1: I totally agree with that XP thanks for the review!

QuoVeridis: Awww thank you for your kind words and compliments :3 I am glad you liked it! Your English is quite fine and I totally get what you were saying XP I think you are right :)

xXx skytale xXx: Sorry about that, but it had to be done XP Thank you!

ArianandXaia: Yeah, I felt pretty dumb and then fangirlish after I found out XP. Thanks for the review and compliment XP and calling someone a pig usually is an insult so I think you are onto something XD

sirmrfish: It does fit him quite nicely X) and your welcome for the annoying cliff-hanger. Thank you!

Storm Dragon Wolf Princess: I can't really do that either, it was just a random guess based on culture and appearance. Don't worry I would never be so evil as to do that. I hate it with a passion when people do that to me :P Thank you for the review. Awesome, a white wolf!

Generala: Sorry, I did not mean to leave you behind, I updated pretty fast *sheepish grin* I am glad you caught up though :D Thank you!

Scarlet Curls: Aww thanks for the review! Yes! I am glad I did not make an epic fail when I wrote that, it's good to hear/read :P Thanks for your epic review it made me laugh. Fannie and Dito seem quite the handful XP

Slave Revolt

"Link!" Zelda yelled frantically as she ran across the room to where the boar lay wheezing softly.

The pig was clearly dying and she was praying, hoping with all her heart that it had not taken Link with it. She had no way of knowing how badly he was hurt. She did not know if Ganon's tusks had gotten him or if he had been crushed by the boar's weight.

As she ran towards Link, she picked up her little dragon with one hand. She could see that Jade was breathing deeply and her wound did not appear to be too serious. At least she was not going to lose both of her friends. Zelda assumed that she had gone unconscious from the pain. Zelda set her dragon down near the massive boar. Part of Link's arm and a leather booted foot protruded out from under the crushing girth of the large creature. She felt her breath catch at the sight.

Using all of her remaining strength, and a bit of a running start, she bowled into the enormous swine, pushing him off of Link with the savage force of pure frenzy. The boar Ganon lay on his side, his pussy white blood pooling on the floor beside him. Shuddering at the sight, she bent down towards Link. He appeared to be unconscious again. His face was even paler than before, his breaths coming in shallow uneven gasps.

She felt along his torso with her triforce of wisdom and could feel that a few of his ribs were probably cracked but, other than that, she could feel nothing wrong save the pulsing twisted energy still roiling inside him. She lifted his upper body into onto her lab and held him in her arms, as if she could will him to be alive and well by just her touch.

"Link?" she whispered softly, "please be alright."

To her utter surprise, his eyes slowly opened and a faint smile played across his lips as soon as he saw her looking down at him.

"Thank you for coming for me," he said weakly, lifting a trembling hand towards her. She grasped it, looking down into his deep blue eyes.

"I couldn't just leave you again… I wouldn't ever leave you again," she said softly.

His smile faded abruptly as his face twisted into a grimace. He moaned softly.

"Link, what's wrong? Where are you hurt? What can I do?" she asked in a rush of worry.

"I- it's… Ganon, he won't let go, not until-" he groaned in pain, "dying," he finally managed to gasp between ragged breaths.

Zelda stared at him in horror her eyes filling with tears. "You can't," she choked, "I just found you again. I have hardly even gotten the chance to be with you, to make everything up to you. Hyrule needs you… I need you. I…I lo-"she couldn't trust her voice to go any further and she looked away, silent tears running down her cheeks. Jade had woken up and limped over to the pair. Her playful catlike eyes were strangely solemn. She licked a tear from Zelda's cheek and lay down at her side to lick Link's hand with her rough little tongue.

"You can't die," Zelda finally whispered. She was startled once again, her heart filling with dread as he made an odd rasping sound. 'What in Hyrule?' she wondered as she glanced at his gaunt face in terror and then in confusion. He was chuckling. Why would he be laughing at a time like this?' she wondered slightly indignant.

"Not me… Ganon," he managed to choke, closing his eyes and grimacing.

She looked over at the pig that was once a warlord. The boar gave one last shuddering breath and a twitch before becoming permanently still. At that moment, Link's breathing suddenly leveled and as she watched some of the color came back into his face. He opened his eyes again, the old familiar glimmer returning to them.

"You and I have got to stop meeting this way," he teased, his voice gaining strength. "This is the second time we have found ourselves in this sort of situation. Except last time, I believe I was the one holding you, not the other way around." He chuckled again. "I have to admit I make a pretty convincing distressing damsel."

She only smiled and tightened her grip around him. She felt Link's arms slide around her in return. She buried her face in his tangled hair and held him close. If her council and the courtiers could see her now, she thought with a soundless scoff. She could never seem to keep up the princess's 'proper regal distance poise' around Link and, truth be told, she did not mind a bit.

"I was so worried about you, and missed you so much," she whispered.

"Me too," he relied just as softly.

She could feel tears again but, this time, they were tears of joy and gratefulness rather that grief. She unconsciously tightened her already crushing hold ignoring the protests of her own battered body. It was as if her mind feared that if she let him go now it would all prove to be nothing more than a dream and she would wake on the road of her quest or in Ganondorf's clutches. Also, she realized that she had not embraced anyone so fervently since the death of her parents and she felt she almost longed for it. She felt Link wince.

"Zelda," he gasped softly.

She started, realizing that she had been hurting him.

"Sorry," she said releasing her tight grip on him with a blush as she suddenly felt embarrassed and a little foolish.

He grinned up at her, "It's not that I wasn't enjoying that, because I was, but I do need to breathe sometimes."

Zelda felt her face flame. 'confound him and his stupid teasing,' she thought slightly peeved but at the same time greatly relieved that he was alright. She realized suddenly that earlier he had been trying to tell her that Ganon would not let go of his magic hold until he died. She assumed that Ganon had been fruitlessly trying to keep himself alive by trying to steal Link's power but, in his form a swine, he had been unsuccessful in his attempts.

"Zelda's Yink is alive," Jade piped happily. She started to leap around joyously when she let out a whine and stopped mid-jump to lick the long jagged slice she had gotten down her side and her foreleg. Zelda helped Link sit up and went to tend her dragon. She ran to get her satchel. She tore off the hem of her cloak and made an improvised bandage for Jade.

"I'll get you a proper one as soon as we get out of here." She said gently. Jade nodded.

Zelda watched as Link struggled to his feet. He swayed dangerously and Zelda hastily rose to steady him. He pulled away, his eyes urgent.

"Ganon found out about your battle plans; we need to help your rebellion before it fails." He said as he took a faltering step and nearly fell.

"Let me help you," she said, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him near. "You are in no condition to be fighting. You look half starved and completely spent, not to mention you're wounded."

"No worse than you are," he said bluntly, gesturing at her bruises and sword graze and the slash on her upper arm that was still bleeding. She could not argue for she knew he was right.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing, lives are at stake," he continued.

"I know that," she said soothingly laying a hand on either side of his head, transferring her healing energy to him. He pulled away.

"I can't let you do that," he said looking concerned. It uses up your life force energy to do that, and I am not a magic wielder like Midna, I cannot give it back."

"I am only giving you enough to give you a bit of strength back so you can at least stand properly. There will be no need for you to give it back. You are not on the brink of death like Midna was anyway. The reason things were so crazy with Midna was because I nearly transferred everything I had. I am not going to do that again. Also, I want to do this for you. I order you to stand still." She commanded.

Link held still.

"Better?" she asked him once she was finished. He nodded, then his eyes suddenly grew wide.

"That is how he did it," Link exclaimed.

"That is how who did what?" Zelda asked confused.

"Ganondorf told me that he had both the Empress and I to thank for his return." He said as he bent down to pick up her pack and handed it to her. Then he retrieved the master sword from the boar's lifeless carcass. He cleaned it off on the animal's hide before replacing it into its sheath, which Zelda had handed him, and thrust it into the odd purple sash he was using as a belt

"You and the Empress? How?" Zelda exclaimed angrily, her face contorting in an expression of disgusted fury as she remembered the months she had spent at the mercy of that fiend. She knew that Link could have no pleasanter memories of that monster than she had.

"At first I could not imagine how it was possible but now I know. The Empress was a skilled magic wielder. The day I defeated her on the battlefield and killed her, she, knowing that she was going to die, must have transferred her life force energy into the one thing that would most serve her desire for revenge on you, our kingdom, and I. Ganondorf was the best choice. Unfortunately, she was dying so she did not have enough to bring Ganondorf back to his full power, which was why he needed me. He found a way to drain power from anyone who bore a mark of the triforce. He went for me because it was easier to lure me into a trap than it would have been for him to storm the castle in search of you. The day I fought the Empress, I remember her yelling something about this not being over, and I guess I know what she meant now." He explained as headed for the door.

"How did you figure that out?" Zelda asked as she followed him out of the throne room at a trot. She stopped before she passed her arrow with the twilight shard still attached to the tip. She grabbed it by its shaft and thrust it into her satchel as she ran after Link.

"I had a lot of time to myself to think," he replied with a grin.

Link led the way out of the castle and they crouched in the courtyard behind Ganondorf's platform. He looked out at the backs of the soldiers as they defended their fortress.

"I know that Ganondorf created a magic barrier to fortify the gates but, judging by the sound of the battering ram outside the gates, I'd say that the spell was broken when he died."

"How do you know that?" Zelda asked.

Link made a face, "because I helped him make it."

"Oh right," she said sheepishly, feeling foolish for not realizing and for bringing up something that he probably did not want to revisit. She saw him taking stalk of the enemy and she whispered as much as she knew about the rebel's battle plans and their leaders to him as he took stock of the battle.

"We need to free the slaves," he said when she was finished. "If we do this, we might be able to insight them to rebel and crush the enemy forces on the inside as well as the outside."

"We should also make sure that Aveil's elite force makes it over the wall. We would have more of a chance that way," she whispered urgently.

"Aveil and her elite force have made it over the wall," A voice said almost smugly. The two hylians turned to see her furtively entering their hiding spot, followed by six black clad figures.

Zelda jumped, slightly startled by her friend's stealthy approach. Apparently, Ganondorf had not known all of the rebels' battle plans or he would have sent a sizable force to the side of the wall where Aveil's thieves snuck over to stop them.

"You managed to find him, Serhild," Aveil said awed. "Did you manage to defeat the warlord as well?"

Zelda nodded. "I had a bit of help though," she said gesturing towards Link.

"It gladdens my heart to see you alive you rouge," Aveil smiled at Link, patting him on the shoulder, "you look absolutely horrible," she finished.

"Thank you," he replied with a grin. "Might I just say you are looking very grand yourself."

She crinkled her nose in friendly disapproval before asking, "do you have another one of your brilliant plans to help this situation?"

"It's more desperate than it is brilliant," he replied. "We need to free the slaves from the slave compound. When that is achieved, we need to split into three groups. I will lead a third of the slaves to the left side of the wall to help… Rhydd…" he looked towards Zelda as if to confirm he got the rebel commanders name right, "that way, we can get more troops inside. It will give us a greater advantage. Aveil, I would like you to lead a third of the troop to pin down the enemy resistance on the inside of the fort. Once we free the slaves, they are sure to find out about it and send some soldiers to counter us. Serhild," he said, raising his eyebrows at her in an almost undetectable mix of sarcasm and curiosity. "I need you to take a third of the slaves to the main gate and try to get it open for the attack party."

With a nod, Aveil signaled to her team and they silently started to move out with all the furtive slyness of accomplished thieves. Zelda stared in relieved surprise at Link. There was no denying he was rather quick witted, he had used her code name after hearing it spoken only once. As soon as Aveil had shown up she had suddenly realized that she had neglected to tell him that she was undercover and had a false name.

He rose shakily to stand beside her. He closed his eyes for a moment and swayed slightly. His facial expression was pinched. He was completely exhausted. Though he had been smiling at her and acting like normal she knew him, and she could see the pained look in his eyes and the way he flinched when he was startled or when she touched him unexpectedly. He was not alright and she felt a rush of worry for him. After all he had been through he needed to be resting not helping to lead a rebellion, but after less than a second he righted himself.

"Link," she tried, but he was already following after Aveil and her team.

They made it to the slave compound with little resistance. Aveil and her cohorts picked the locks. The imprisoned people started to cheer as they were freed and Link and Zelda appeared alongside Aveil and her soldiers. When all the slaves were free, Link shouted out orders like a practiced military commander with Aveil to back him up. The gerudo were a proud folk and they were almost guaranteed to be more than happy to take any chance possible to avenge their people, pride and honor and the few hylains were only all to happy to follow. Zelda led her war party straight for the gates as Link lead his to his to the left.

~x~X~x~

Aveil ordered her troops into a line to face the opposition that came their way. She knew her troop needed to hold off the enemy long enough for Link and Zelda to make their stands.

She took her place at the head and called a charge to face the advancing enemy. As she engaged the foe she was vaguely aware of the slaves fighting at her side. Some of them were not trained fighters but their passion and anger made them as formidable as their opponents. They wielded whatever weapons they could get their hands on, farming tools, chains, whips, bits of metal, broken spears and rocks. Aveil expertly wielded the two daggers, given to her by General Tarsius, against the foe. All around her swarmed the faces of friends and enemies in a huge furious confusing mass.

Her eyes caught sight of an imposing armored figure headed towards her. He was brutally cutting himself a path through the fighters. He was not only heedless with the lives of the rebels but also with the lives of his own soldiers. He seemed to have only one goal in mind and that was to get at her. She remembered this barbarian well and was all too ready to accept his unspoken challenge. The plume of his helmet streamed behind him as he charged.

"You will never get the better of me again, Xiphos," she said through clenched teeth as she cut down a bulbin to meet him in combat.

Memories of his heartless cruelty filled her mind. Lost in her own fury, she became oblivious to everything around her except darkly armored knight. She dodged a swipe from his massive broadsword by ducking quickly under it and towards him. She was able to deliver two slashes through a week part of his armor before she leaped out of the reach of his sword. He was relying on power and strength; this attack strategy and his heavy armor made him slow. She relied completely on her speed and agility. He made a powerful lunge and she sidestepped, striking him again. He roared in furious outrage.

"What's the matter?" she asked darkly. "Now that I am no longer an unarmed chained prisoner you are too weak to fight me? Is beating helpless captives the extent of your skill? You mud sucking coward."

With a roar, he renewed his attack and, for several terrifying seconds, she was hard-pressed to dodge all his vicious swipes. She leaped in close to slash at a weak spot right under his helmet. He yelled with pain but as she was leaping back his sword caught her arm she fell backwards. Not even the pain from the horribly deep gash could shake her free of her rage and she leaped to her feet undeterred much to Xiphos's surprise.

As their battle progressed it became apparent that Xiphos had the advantage because of his heavy armor. Aveil fully realized this as she narrowly missed being decapitated. Thinking quickly, she reached into the back of her belt. Her hand closed around the iron pronged grapnel she had used to scale the wall. As she danced away from an attack, she took aim and threw. The prongs on the grappling hook caught the horse hair plume on her enemy's helmet. She pulled, managing to yank off his helmet before he severed the rope. She glared into her enemy's unmasked face triumphantly, knowing that it was she who had the advantage now. She threw one of her daggers and, as he was hitting that projectile aside with his sword, she threw the other straight at his un-helmed head.

~x~X~x~

Link ran up the battlement steps with the slaves pounding behind him. Every muscle in his weary body ached with fatigue but he tried his best to ignore it. He shouted his attack orders and the troop of slaves instantly complied. He was slightly taken aback at their willingness to obey the commands of a stranger before he remembered that they thought he was some sort of amazing hero. He only hoped that he could live up to their expectations of him. They had suffered enough loss, pain, and hardship, without the added disappointment that their fabled hero was a failure.

He reached the throng of enemies who were working hard to push down the siege ladders and slash grappling hooks of the rebels. With a battle cry, he charged into their astounded midst. From his vantage point he could see that Aveil's troop had engaged the enemy and Zelda's had reached the gate. Both of his friends' movements insured that the troops on the wall would get no reinforcements. He smiled with satisfaction. He fought his way through the masses of bulbin lizalphos and other dark creatures with the slaves at his side. It felt so good to be wielding his sword again. With his weapon in his hand, he felt like he was in control of his own fate again and he felt far more secure than he had in weeks of feeling vulnerable and at the mercy of others. Once the rebels ascending area was clear, Link ordered the slaves to guard each side of the battlement path to keep out the few reinforcements that had managed to come to the aid of the enemy wall defenders.

Without the hard enemy resistance, the rebels commenced climbing the wall quickly and in full force. Link lent a hand to the first man over the wall. The rope of this rebel's grappling line had been in the process of being cut when Link and the slaves had arrived, and his rope had been fraying rapidly. Link grabbed his hand just as his rope finally gave way. He was a tall sturdy looking spiky red haired man.

As soon as the man was over the wall, a familiar and dreaded twanging sound met Link's ears. The enemy defenders of the opposite wall had rallied some opposition. Five darknut archers had fired their longbows at the growing rebel force and three bulbins had the arrows of their clumsily made short-bows trained on the rebels.

"Archers! Get down!" Link yelled and the company obliged. The darknuts were deadly accurate with their yew bows, and a few of the rebels fell. While Link was down low, he grabbed a fallen bow and an arrow that had narrowly missed him and took aim. He turned his head to see that the red haired man had done the same after ripping an arrow shaft from his arm.

"Their light armor is week at the neck," Link said and they stood up and returned fire with five rebel archers. Link's arrow found its target but, as the knight fell, he fired a shot into the air with his massive longbow. Link watched the arrow curve gracefully upwards and, in a spit second, predicted where it would land. He pulled the red haired rebel out of its arcing path just in time to bat a low velocity ungainly arrow, of the last remaining bulbin, out of the air with his sword blade, right before it hit him.

"You're Serhild's missing friend aren't you?" the spiky red haired men asked with a small smile. He looked at the two arrows that had just missed them and then looked Link up and down. "I can see why she likes you so much, thank you," he said holding out his hand. "My name is Rhydd."

Link clasped the hand with a quirky smile, and then frowned suddenly as he was hit with a crippling rush of lightheadedness. His world seemed to pitch and heave around him and his vision was assaulted by wavering black splotches. He felt himself falling backwards, only to be steadied by a strong hand. Link shook himself in an attempt to keep himself from blacking out. His vision cleared and he found that he was staring into bright concerned wheat gold eyes.

"Are you alright?" Rhydd asked.

"I'll be fine."

Link managed a smile and Rhydd slowly let go, as if to make sure he was telling the truth. Once he was sure Link would keep his feet and saw that all his men were over the wall, he began shouting his attack orders.

"I want two thirds of you to help Aveil in the courtyard and I want the rest of you to follow me," he called as he ran towards where Zelda was fighting for control of the gates.

Link followed after Rhydd's attack force, barely able to keep pace with the last members of the column, too tired to care that his command had been usurped. He doubted he could lead them any more anyway. Besides, he had no problem with Rhydd's orders; they were wise and completely logical. Already the lightheadedness was flooding back. He followed unsteadily after the last soldier.

~x~X~x~

Zelda's troops were heavily engaged and they had not yet made it to the turn shaft that lifted the portcullis.

"Keep our forces engaging enemy so you can get through to open the gate when I open the portcullis," she told the two thieves from Aveil's command.

She knew what she was planning was a desperate and dangerous but, in her opinion, desperate times called for desperate plans. While some of her forces engaged the warriors on the steps that led to the battlement walkway, she started to scale one of the wooden supports. Her plan was to sneak past the main battle from behind so she could have a better chance for success.

She had always loved to climb ever since she had been young. She had used to shinny up the pillars of the great hall, until her mother caught her at it and put an end to her unladylike behavior. Even though she had not practiced this skill for several years, she had no trouble scaling the wooden support. There were only two guards not entangled in the main fray or being distracted by her troop, a bulblin and a darknut.

She got the bulblin with her rapier and, when the darknut turned to attack her, she dropped down low and tripped him over the side of the high battlement walkway. She ran to the turn-shaft of the portcullis. This one was even larger than the one at the wooden fortress. It was made of a blackened metal like the fortress walls and looked a lot like a small mill wheel turned on its side. She pushed hard on one of the spokes but it wouldn't budge.

"Darn these stupid cranks," she muttered to herself as she pushed as hard as she could. Jade stuck her head out from Zelda's satchel, where she had been hiding, and latched on to the metal spokes, trying to help her push.

Two enemies spotted her efforts and turned from the battle to stop her, their swords drawn. Desperately, she through her weight against the stubborn shaft, but her efforts were to no avail. Beside her hands appeared another pair and she turned startled to see the golden eyes of Rhydd staring into her own.

"We meet again fair maiden. This seems rather familiar does it not?" He smiled as he started to help her push.

His force of rebels followed close. Most of them cut off the wall defenders from behind so that they were blocked between the two rebel forces. The others tried to help move the heavy iron turn shaft. As she pushed, she saw Link stagger up in the rear barely keeping pace. She only took that in though the corner of her eye as the turn-shaft started to move and the chain that held the portcullis slowly started to wrap around the shaft causing the metal grating of the gate to rise. As soon as it was up, the rest of Zelda's slave force broke through the enemies ranks and unbarred the gate.

A flood of battle ready rebels entered the fortress. After a few horror stricken moments of battle, the enemy realized that they were completely surrounded. Without their general or any of their commanders the enemy was at a loss for cleaver plans so they put up their arms and surrendered.

A ragged cheer rang out from the rebels and former slaves. A small battle host entered the castle to search for and capture any other enemies.

The sun finally rose in a sky that had been hinting at its arrival for a while. It ascended over the horizon line in a glorious burst of flaming colors, signifying the end of night in more ways than one. Zelda was filled with a complete sense of elation and she added her own voice in their cry of victory. Her joyous cry died on her lips as she fully viewed the courtyard and the barren planes outside the fortress for the first time.

They had achieved victory but it was at a terrible price. All around the fortress lay the bodies of the wounded and the slain. Nearly a fourth of the rebel force lay thus. To her, the light from the rising sun no longer seemed victorious. Its light seemed dimmed and sad. It was like a cruel reminder that many of the brave rebels never even got the chance to see it rise for themselves one last time before they were claimed by darkness. Zelda felt tears roll down her cheeks.

Whew, that one took a while to finish. :d Next week's chapter will be a bit of a chance for the characters to breathe, before I turn my pen back to Hyrule, it's not quite free from bother yet. As usual, thank you for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you think :) I pray that you all may have turly brilliant weeks!

Question; do you think that Midna made the right choice when she shattered the mirror of twilight?

(yes this question might actually relate to next week's chapter *cough cough* spoiler *cough*)