A/N: I just want to apologize to all Link fans in advance. In the movie, the third wheel is stabbed and thrown out a window. I didn't want to do that to Link, so I came up with this instead. Also, a little later on this chapter gets violent. What do you expect, it's the climax of the story! :D
Edwin watched as Zelda bit into his spell, and laughed triumphantly as the spell took effect. But he trembled horribly when he saw the outcasts arrive with the help of Zant and Vaati's magic. There was a chance he'd get caught. He was gone by the time Agahnim swept the area, but he knew there was no way to hide from that fiery desert beast. Edwin's best chance for survival was in the depths of the castle, where he could throw waves of hapless soldiers between himself and his enemy in hopes of slowing him down.
But in his heart he knew- only the relic could stop him. The relic Edwin did not have.
Ganondorf stomped through the forest, his aura chasing off any animals unfortunate enough to cross his path. Agahnim and Zant ran close behind, each dressed in their best war clothing. Agahnim forgoed his calm green robe for a blinding and imposing red, while Zant donned menacing armor on his head and shoulders.
The two were there to support their master. Ghirahim could run circles around Zant when it came to battle, but he had been hit so hard by depression that he wouldn't even move. He blamed himself for letting Zelda down, twice, and was suicidal to the point that Yuga had to confine him. The Skull Kid wouldn't leave Zelda's side, so Vaati had to help the child through the grieving process. Each wanted their revenge against the cowardly king, but the four who remained behind were content to let their master handle it.
"Remind me again why we're not teleporting to the castle?" Agahnim questioned as he ducked another branch. "It's about a day's walk there."
"Wwe mightt caatch himm thiss waay," Zant answered for his master. "Hee haad too bee clossse by."
The three men walked on until the forest met the great field of Hyrule. There was a ranch nearby, and Ganondorf had the notion to steal some horses and quicken the journey. But when he walked up on the fence, he changed his mind. A young woman with an infant strapped to her chest was tending to the feeders, her hair a toasty orange. She was humming and cooing for the child while working for her herd, and it reminded him of his long gone Gerudo sisters. They never interrupted their duties for child rearing, and it created a strong bond between mother and child. As soft as it was, he did not want to do something that might scar this innocent new family.
He pulled his hood over his head and called to the woman. "Woman. I have a request."
The young woman was startled as she turned to inspect her unusual visitor, but her father always told her 'people are different and that's life'. So she put her fears aside and answered him. At least the baby wasn't scared. "H-hello, welcome to Lon Lon Ranch. What can I do for you, s-sir?"
"Give me three of your horses. I have compensation in return." Ganondorf chucked a pair of silver rupees on the ground. The woman looked at them; it wasn't exactly enough for three horses but she was not going to argue. "S-sure, let me get my husband to tack and bring them around. Link!"
Agahnim and Zant stared at each other in disbelief, and if anyone could see beneath Ganondorf's hood they would find a vicious scowl. Link, the boy who would take advantage of his angel. But he kept his composure as he watched a lanky blonde with mussed hair stroll out of the stable. The baby giggled and reached out to him, while the woman frowned. "Were you sleeping in the hay again? We have a customer, look presentable! Go get three of the riding stock and saddle them up!"
"Yes, Malon." Link fixed his hair before extending a hand to his customers. "Hi, I'm Link, the owner's son-in-law. Thank you for visiting our ranch."
"Link, I've heard that name before. Aren't you a famous captain of the castle guard?" Ganondorf had a desire to strangle the boy, and he could just feel the waves of bloodlust emanating from Zant. "I'm sure I've heard of your bravery. There were even rumors you would wed the Princess."
Link scratched his head and chuckled a bit, embarrassed. "Yeah, that's me. You heard about those rumors, huh? Well, it's good it didn't come to pass. I mean, I was real saddened when the Princess disappeared, but it's for the best that things happened the way they did. Because I got the news that Malon here was halfway to the birth our child. So I retired and married her. Anyway, sorry for boring you. I'll get those horses."
Agahnim shook his head, baffled that this boy just admitted two-timing the princess of Hyrule to a complete stranger. The three took their horses and sped off toward the castle; any lingering at the ranch could end with a two month old without a father.
Edwin felt it before he heard it. There was a rumbling throughout the castle, an unnatural shrieking, and the distinct smell of lightening and fire. Ganondorf had arrived.
"He's here! HE'S HERE! WHAT DO I DO?!"
This is why you're weak... You have no courage, your power is limited, and wisdom has yet to grace you.
"BUT THAT DEMON CAN'T BE KILLED! HIS POWER IS UNMATCHED!"
The reason for that eludes you... Just like the relic you so covet...
Edwin abruptly stopped pacing. Relic... His eyes went wide at the realization. "The pieces lost to time..."
Wisdom may not have come to you yet, but power is breaking down your door.
Edwin grabbed his sword and ran from his chambers. He'd find a way to kill that beast, even if it was impossible. There was another relic for him to grab, this one even greater than puny Zelda's.
He made it to the lower balcony before he ran headfirst into an invisible wall. A snicker alerted him to a presence behind, and he turned to see a sea of red. Red robes, red hood, and red eyes. "Agahnim..."
"I'm honored you remember my name, Your Majesty. It has been so long since I was able to be in your presence. Has Royal Mass continued in my absence?"
Edwin sneered. "You snake, you dare speak of the scripture as if you care? You poisoned everyone's ears with lies. The Royal Family is descended from the one Goddess Hylia, and yet you preach that the world was created by three. Blasphemers such as yourself deserve to burn! You should thank me for taking pity on you and letting you live!"
"Pity? You call this PITY?"
At that moment Agahnim grabbed his robe and tore it from his body, revealing that like his comrades, he had indeed been scarred by the tyrannical king. But the word "scarred" was hardly enough to describe what had been done to him. His torso was horribly discolored, his skin a mix of gray and white in a sickening splash pattern. In addition, jagged scars surrounded the tops of his arms, signature of the worst torture imaginable- sawing. Anyone given this horrible sentence had their arms and legs sawed through to the bone, and were then immolated.
"Was it pity that traded the sweet release of the pyre for the insufferable pain of liquid fire on my chest? You left my body to rot that day, Majesty. But thank the Goddesses my Master delivered me from your malice. He even gave me back these arms that you so hate!" On his last word he fired a bolt at Edwin, but the king was lucky enough to duck. Agahnim fired again, this time clipping a shoulder.
Edwin hissed in pain, but it was not so unbearable as to incapacitate him. He lunged at his former priest, sword at the ready. "And where is your precious 'master'? Afraid to do his own dirty work?"
Agahnim grunted as he dodged the sword. His skill was ethereal, not physical. He fired a blast at Edwin, who managed to deflect it with the blade. It caught him off guard, and he was hit with his own spell. It disoriented him, causing him to drop his barrier. Edwin then took off town the hall.
Another floor down, Edwin was enveloped by a cloud of darkness. He managed to light a candle, but when he did, he found a macabre soldier wearing a pointed helmet.
"Murdererrr..."
Edwin was so startled that he dropped his sword. Zant then disappeared in a flash of black squares, reappearing behind the frightened king. He shoved him to the wall, then retracted his mouth guard.
"Masterrr iss going to sslaughter yooou ffor what yooou did to ourrr aangel."
Edwin shoved his elbow back into the Twili warrior, surprising him enough to release his grip. The Hylian then wiggled away from the wall but tripped on the discarded sword, tumbling into a suit of armor. Zant let him keep running; after all there was no escape. The next floor down...
Edwin ran as fast as he could from the shadow monster. He remembered how the shadow beasts tried to take his kingdom, and how brutal they could be. There was no energy to waste fighting the Twili, he needed all he had to take the relic from the fire beast.
"Going somewhere?"
Edwin froze. He was in the foyer, so close to the castle entrance he could see it. But a figure stepped between his view, a figure cloaked in vengeance.
"GUARDS! SOMEONE! ANYONE!" Edwin screamed in vain. He either failed to notice the bodies laying around him, or he refused to believe it. The beast was so much more frightening in person, and there was no way he could even dream of taking his power away.
Ganondorf threw his bloody sword to the ground. His target was in front of him, and he was going to squeeze the life from it with his own hands. His footsteps thundered through the hall, slowly tolling Edwin's death.
"I'll give you money! Territory! You can be like a king!"
Ganondorf's eyes flared, and he rushed the gap between him and his prey. He grabbed Edwin's throat and slammed him into a nearby pillar. "I already am a king, of a race your ancestors drove from the world out of fear. But there's only one thing I want now, and your death will come swifter if you give it to me."
To punctuate his point, Ganondorf grabbed Edwin's arm and wrenched it from its socket. He then crushed the humerus in his grip. That arm was useless now, and the Hylian's searing screams made the dark man smile.
"What did you do to my Princess?"
Edwin barely had a voice after screaming so intensely. "Living... death..."
"The CURE." Ganondorf started on the other arm.
"No...ne..."
That wasn't what he wanted to hear, so he slammed his captive's head against the pillar. "Lie again and I'll pull the arms right off!"
"She's... dead... Too bad..."
Ganondorf roared with rage at the taunt, and let it consume him. Agahnim and Zant arrived in time to see their master had moved both hands to the king's neck and squeezed. The life was crushed out of Edwin within seconds, and the last thing he saw was the glowing Triforce of Power on its owner's hand.
Wisdom had finally come to him- the voice in his head had been wrong. He had always let his inner self guide his actions, working toward his precious relic. But just as the history books had warned, the Triforce was not for the weak. Many had been driven to insanity in its pursuit, royal and commoner alike. Edwin's foolish chase had cost the kingdom its monarchy, its peace, and its dignity. Death was a fitting punishment for such a crime, and he finally understood why King Daphnes had chosen to abandon the relic.
A/N: I love Agahnim. He's my favorite character, dare I say even more than Ganondorf. If Sheik is allowed to be a different character than Zelda, then Agahnim is allowed to be different than Ganondorf! But I digress. I didn't want him to be battered beyond belief, but it fit with the story that the priest be injured or deformed. I got the sawing torture from a Japanese book I read. Next chapter might be the last one. But I promise it will be much fluffier!