Chapter 3: The Final Battle Begins

Link is running up multiple staircases while the entire castle seems to sway back and forth from the force of the wind. Out of the dark, stained-glass windows, the black clouds swirl faster and the flashes of lightning illuminate dark corridors. Once or twice he thought he heard a roar of a dragon.

Finally, Link runs through a final corridor and comes to a set of large brown and gold double doors. He pauses for a moment, unsure of what he'll find inside. Just then, a familiar looking fairy flies out of Link's green cap.

The bright, silver winged fairy speaks, "Hey! You have to protect your friend Link! Remember what you're fighting for!"

Link reaches in a small bag attached to his waist, and pulls out a blue ocarina that was given to him by Zelda. He puts the instrument to his lips, and plays a song known as "Zelda's Lullaby."

After playing this, Link smiles slightly, and nods at the fairy known as Navi. He swallows hard, takes hold of the golden handle, and pulls with all his might. With a loud groan, the door slowly slides open, and Link enters.

The room is very large, with multiple pillars lining its walls. On the pillars are torches meant to light the room, but every last one is out. His surroundings are very dark, and only the lightning gives him occasional glimpses of the room ahead of him. The ceiling is decorated with elaborate of mosaics that depict Hyrule's creation. As Link walks through the dark room, he looks up at its story, which tell of Din who cultivated the land, Nayru, who gave the land the spirit of law and reasoning, and Farore, who created the beings that would uphold the law.

Finally, the last mosaic displays the holy emblem of the Triforce.

Suddenly, the torches ignite one at a time, bringing light slowly to the room. They light subsequently past Link, and all the way to the throne. Sitting there is Ganondorf.

"You always have such impeccable timing Link." Ganondorf stands and snickers darkly. "You see, it looks like your little princess has hidden herself from me. Thanks to you though, she can't hide much longer!"

Link looks at Ganon questioningly.

"Power…wisdom…courage. The three virtues of the Triforce! When its bearers are within close proximity of each other, they must resonate…which means…"

Link's left hand starts to glow with the Triforce, the bottom right triangle shining brightly. Ganon examines his hand, where the same insignia is aglow, the top triangle shining brightly.

Off to Link's right, a bright flash of white light envelops the room. When it fades, the Princess Zelda herself stands indignantly while her hand shining with the left corner of the triangle of the Triforce glows.

Ganon takes a few steps forward. "Zelda. It's nice of you to finally join us."

Zelda refuses to be intimidated by the man who is at least a foot taller than her. She stands her ground. "This land will not fall to you. We have defeated you before, and we shall not hesitate to repeat your decent into the void of the dark realm!"

Link draws his sword and shield, and stands readily at Zelda's side.

Zelda clasps her hand in front of her, right in front of her chest. "Guardians of the Triforce…lend me your strength in our hour of need!" An orb of golden light materializes into sight. She touches the light with both hands, and the golden orb shapes itself into a golden bow.

Zelda pulls a golden arrow from out of thin air, and notches it in the bow. "This ends now Ganon!"

However, Ganon appears completely unfazed. Ironically, a slow, steady grin spreads across his lips.

"This will end you!" Zelda pulls back on the golden string of the bow, and lets the arrow fly. The arrow bursts into a bright, golden streak.

Just before making contact with the dark wizard, a dark wall of energy appears in front of Ganondorf, and the arrow evaporates into golden dust.

Zelda is shocked. "What? How can this be?!"

Link falters slightly, his grip on the sacred Master Sword lessening.

Ganondorf cackles madly. "Fools! Do you really believe I'd try the same feat again without a little 'protection?"

"What do you mean?" Despite the situation, Zelda notches another arrow, and fires again.

The arrow collides with the wall of dark energy once more. Ganon smirks. "Zexion…your assistance is greatly appreciated."

Suddenly, a wave of blackness swirls briefly beside Ganondorf, and once it disappears, a man with long, gray hair and a black cloak stands in its wake. In his right arm, he cradles a black book.

Zexion speaks, "Right. Let's make quick work of this so we may accomplish the task at hand. But first…"

Zexion has caught Link out of the corner of his eye as he charges in for an attack. Link leaps ten feet in the air, empowered by the courageous virtue of the Triforce, and attempts to bring the sword crashing down on Zexion.

Zexion opens his book, named Lexicon. "Be gone fool! You only delay the inevitable!" With a quick wave of his hand, a dark barrier appears around Ganon and Zexion, and rapidly expands itself outward. Link smashes against the barrier, and is blown back halfway across the room. He skids on his back twice, tumbles, and then smashes against a pillar. His eyes flutter, then close as Link lies in a motionless heap on the ground.

Just then, the double doors burst open. Sora and Goofy come rushing out and quickly survey the scene developing in front of them. Soon, they spot Link.

"Mr. Link!" Goofy and Sora come rushing to the fallen warriors aid.

Sora looks at Link's battered shield, and then at Zexion. "You did this didn't you?!"

Zexion waves his hand as though he were swatting a fly. "He was in the way, and needed to be disposed of. Now we have more important matters to attend to." He narrows his eyes at Ganondorf. "I will keep the annoyances busy. You're invulnerable to Zelda's arrows. Finish the job quickly if you don't mind."

Ganondorf smiles viciously. "With pleasure…"

Zelda bites her bottom lip, but refuses to go down without a fight. She notches three arrows at once and fires them all at Ganon. The ricochet harmlessly off of his armor, scattering them around the room. One arrow hits the mosaic above Goofy, Sora, and Link, and the ceiling beings to crack and buckle.

"We've got to move him before we all get crushed!" Sora and Goofy pull Link out of the way just before a large stone impacts the ground. As they grab Link, Sora and Goofy glow with golden light. It spreads to Link, and he begins to stir.

Sora shakes Link. "Come on, you've got to get up! Your friend needs help! Zelda is your friend!"

At the name Zelda, Link snaps his eyes open and refocuses his eyes on Zexion. Grabbing his shield and sword, he makes another attempt at bringing him down.

"Let's follow his lead Goofy!" Sora and Goofy pull out their weapons and charge the Organization XIII member.

Zexion remains un-amused. "Incompetent idiots. You know nothing of who you're dealing with." He flips into another page of Lexicon, and waves his hand again.

Numerous heartless as well as nobodies spawn in waves around the room, separating the trio from Zexion.

"Coward!" Sora bashes a heartless while speaking to Zexion. "Fight like a real man!…or the Nobody that you are!"

Zexion raises an eyebrow. "I prefer not to get my own hands dirty, thank you very much."

Zelda is fighting a losing battle. Her arrows continue to bounce harmlessly off Ganondorf. Finally, she gets backed into a corner.

Ganondorf cracks his knuckles. "I've been waiting a long time for this…"

Zelda is breathing heavily. Seeing another arrow bounce off her target almost demoralizes her completely. Finally, he decides to put her all into possibly her last attack.

She whips out a silver and gold arrow from the air. She says under her breath "Gods of the Triforce…help us all…" Zelda then notches the arrow. The bow starts to shake from the power contained in the single mighty projectile. With the last of her power, the power glides off the bow's shaft, and explodes into multiple silver and gold beams that converge on Ganondorf.

However, even the mightiest attack of the Princess proves useless, as they reflect from his invincible armor. They travel outward and hit multiple parts of the room, causing massive damage to the stone walls and pillars.

Some walls are completely blown out, exposing the cold, outside air. The pillars begin to tumble and manage to crush many of the heartless in the way. In the aftermath, rubble covers the ground, and a harsh gale blows frigid air inside the room.

With only a few heartless and nobodies left, Link and Sora decide to finish them off with a joint attack.

Link prepares himself for a spin attack. He hooks his shield on his back, and holds out his sword straight out in his left hand as it begins to glow with reddish, blue energy. Sora then takes Link's free hand, and his key blade also begins to glow with the same magical energy.

Sora shouts, "Double spin attack!"

Link yells loudly as the two spin rapidly while moving around the room, destroying any enemy that gets in the way. Finally, the area is clear, and the three run toward the throne. But they're too late.

Ganondorf has the unconscious Zelda thrown over his shoulder, while Zexion stands at his side, looking quite satisfied with himself.

"Well Ganondorf, it looks like our work here is done. Shall we be leaving?"

Ganondorf grins. "Yes, but not before leaving them with a parting gift." He outstretches his hand, and three dark beams of energy shoot out, quick as lightning. Sora, Goofy, and Link are unable to react, and are hit square in the chest.

The dark energy that hit the three materialize into exact copies of themselves.

Sora's jaw drops. "What are they???"

Zexion answers, "Heartless versions of yourselves. Have fun." With that, Ganondorf and Zexion disappear in a wave a swirling, black energy.

What's left standing before them are copies of Link, Sora, and Goofy, that seems to be made from the very shadows of darkness. Their clothes, their skin, and even their weapons are pitch black. However their eyes glow red.

Link squares off with his respective copy, and draws his sword. He is battered heavily; his clothes ripped in several places, and there are multiple cuts on his skin. However, he doesn't seem to notice them at all. The only thing he sees is a fake version of himself that has to be destroyed. Whatever it took to save his friend, he was not going to give up.

Goofy appears very interested in his heartless copy. "I never thought I coulda looked so intimidatin'…"

Sora also squares up with his opposite. The enemy's key blade glows with dark shadows, and its red eyes tell him one thing. This Sora had intent to kill anything, and anyone.