Dora opened her eyes and her head throbbed. It took all the will power she could gather to roll to her side and then flop on to her back. She did not dare try to sit up until after she consumed some of the castle's energy to heal. The problem was that it would take up time she did not have to spare. At that moment, Ganondorf and Link could have been battling, and she would not be there if he needed her, or worse. Fear should have frozen her, but it only motivated her.

She placed her hand over her stomach, and could feel the hole was shrinking. The paralysis that the Master Sword brought wore off, but her muscles still burned when she forced them to work. The dark energy rejuvenated her to the point she could move to her knees. The twisting of her body made her grunt from the agony of her open wound. Tears burned at her eyes and choked her as she struggled through the throbbing and stinging to push herself to both feet. With her arm over her wound, she stood tall, and sweat poured from her face because of the great effort she exerted. Time was running out, so as soon as she could take the first step, she pushed herself to move with as much haste as possible.

The closer she came to the central chamber the stronger Ganondorf's powers were, and the more quickly she healed. She stumbled most of the way and fell a couple times, until she came to the door and shoved it open, only to be surprised that it was empty.

Panic succeeded her pain and she raced into the middle of the room. "Damn it," she whispered. "Show off." She smirked.

The rope left behind by Puppet Ganon led all the way to the top, but she was in no condition to go climbing. It was the most direct path, but not the wisest. While she might have had her energy back, her muscles still disobeyed her, and her wounds were still fresh, but on the mend. During her search for an alternate route to the top, she was summoned.

Dora stood on the roof, looking out at the beautiful land of Hyrule, from one mountain range to the next. The skies were blue, and it was falling. No, it was not falling, the ocean was collapsing in on Hyrule. "What in the hell is going on?" she shouted. Her eyes narrowed in on the action across the tower. Link and Ganondorf battled, with Zelda wielding the light arrows. It seemed the odds might have been against him, but they were evenly matched. Dora rested her hand on her sword, and prepared to enter the fight. Then, she laid her eyes on a man in a red robe, with a white beard, and golden crown. The old King of Hyrule, a man who should have been dead, stood in front of her, and not as a ghost. This was the man responsible for her hospitality while a prisoner, who could have ended her torture and freed her at anytime. Instead, he kept her captive in those chains, turned a blind eye to what the guards, for generations, chose to do with her, and refused to release her out of fear. A man who, when evil eventually returned, looked to the goddesses like a coward, and then could not leave his precious Hyrule behind, even in death.

Her hand instantly clenched the hilt of her sword and she brandished the blade. Then there was no thought, just action.

"Die!" she shouted.

Daphnes turned to face her, and her sword impaled his chest. His eyes widened, and he slowly sank to his knees before her. He clearly still felt pain, although he shed no blood. "Ganondora," the king breathed, surprised. "You're alive?"

"I could say the same for you, but you're not, are you?" she questioned harshly.

"No. I am not," he answered solemnly.

Dora twisted the blade in his chest and he cried out in pain. "For all the unbearable heartache, for all the unimaginable suffering you and your ancestors forced me to endure, I take this small piece of revenge from you."

"You are too late. The Triforce has granted my wish for hope, to bury Hyrule, while you and your king drown with it," he explained, closing his eyes peacefully. "My destiny is fulfilled."

Dora was in disbelief. Her chest tightened, her grip on her sword weakened, and her face contorted in anger. "You used the Triforce? You stole Ganondorf's victory? You bastard!" She wrenched the sword out through his shoulder, and then swung it cleanly through the neck of the King of Hyrule. His head rolled away, moved by the fierce wind, and fell from tower. The body collapsed at her feet.

"Do it, Link!"

Her senses immediately returned and she looked over to the fight. Link was mid-air, the Master Sword pointed down and aimed at Ganondorf. The speed at which she rushed to intercept Link made it appear as though she teleported. Yet, she was still too late.

The fierce battle was abruptly ended at the startling sound of shattering glass, as if time suddenly stood still. In the next breath, Dora's sword collided with Link, ripped open his chest, and sent him flying across the tower.

Dora barely acknowledged her victory as it was greatly outweighed by concern for her husband. She shrieked at seeing the sword embedded in Ganondorf's head where the unique jewel of his crown usually rested. She gripped his arms and found his body was stiff. "No! No this can't be happening," she breathed, tears instantly burning her eyes.

He dropped to his knees, his teeth clenched, fighting the power of the Master Sword coursing through his veins. "The wind..."

Dora's heart ached, and her thoughts froze. "I won't lose you this time!" She gripped the hilt of the blade, and she was blinded by pain. No matter how she pulled, fighting against the agony of the Master Sword rejecting her, the blade did not give an inch. "I won't lose you again!" A strange crunching sound drew her attention to the floor, and she found that the sword was imprisoning him in stone, making him its new pedestal.

"Ganondora," he grunted, expressing the futility of her efforts. Ganondorf forced open his hands so that his swords fell, and when he raised his arms just slightly, she instantly entered them. Dora clung to him in a strong embrace, and he rested his arms comfortingly around her. Her head pressed desperately against his chest. She trembled with restrained tears.

"This time, I will stay with you, my king, so we can be together forever, even in death."

"Good night, my queen."

"Good night, my love."

Dora closed her eyes, and the stone enveloped them completely.