Chapter Eleven

The Final Battle and Closure for Link

To reach Old Castle Town and Hyrule Castle ruins Link and Zane had to travel to Kyoto and venture through the stunning Bamboo forest, for somewhere in the middle sat the last mirror.

There was a strange purple glow about this mirror as Link and Zane stepped through it.

They came out onto part of Hyrule Field where the broken drawbridge lay in a fast flowing river. Link was undeterred by this though, picking up a disguarded axe nearby and using it to chop down a number of trees. Now he had the competed Tri-Force power on top on his own he could do this with ease.

Zane looked on proudly.

Link used the Goron bracelets to drag and then lift and tip the trees across the fast flowing river and over the broken drawbridge to get across to Old Castle Town.

This place was a disaster area right now but you could tell by the houses that remained, people still lived here and one of those was the cocky and creepy Happy Mask Salesman, who hid when he saw Link coming.

"I'll deal with you later" He said

As Link walked through the town with Zane, one by one people came out of their houses to stare at him and then up at the Castle ruins, which had a barrier around it.

Link raised his hand and destroyed the barrier, rendering the town's folk speachless.

The Happy Mask Salesman could be heard screaming in terror at this before Link simply stepped forward and made his way to the caslte gate.

Guarding the gate were two Knuckle Masters. Zane helped Link to defeat these but they didn't drop any keys. Link would have to find another way into the castle.

Link put his sword into the ground until Wolf Link appeared,

"I need you to call Minda, if she can get you up there I'll be able to warp to that point" Link told Wolf Link.

He wasn't sure if this was true but Wolf Link nodded and obliged anyway.

Minda was happy to help, if only to see Link looking like a dog again.

As Link hoped he was warped to every point Minda got Wolf Link too and then down the other side of the wall where Link then unclocked the gate for Zane.

Wolf Link then went back to the sword, taking Minda with him,

Her sigh was heard by three Re-Dead' guarding the door.

Link sighed and played the song of Sunlight, freezing them long enough for him to use his fire arrows on them.

"I'm sorry" He told them as he shot them, "I really am"

The front door opened up for him as the Re-Dead' exploded into purple smoke and with a little trepidation he and Zane stepped inside.

Here he found something he never expected. A train track that climbed the wall of the castle entrance way anti-clockwise with blocks at various points and in the centre of the room the train from Spirit Track's. It was tiny compared to Link and he wasn't sure how on Earth he was supposed to drive it.

"He had the Korki gene but he was the tallest in his family, though I'm not sure what happened to them" Zane said, "I could drive this train" He added

Link gestured for him to try and was amazed to see Zane shrink with his own eyes for the first time,

"You have wings too don't you?" Link siad in question

"Yeah...sorry Link but I couldn't say anything, I have had many forms, this is kind of a favourite of mine" Zane told him. Link grinned, "Want me to make this train big enough to fit you?"

"Yes please" Link said

"I can't do that" Zane grinned

Link laughed and scrunched up beside him on a small bench chair in the cab of the Spirit Track' train but this proved dangerous so in the end Link had to sit in the cart WW Link used to shift ice from one village to another.

Slowly, partly because of Link weight against the train' weight, they started to venture up the tower to the first block.

The door on this platform here was green.

Link jumped off and ventured through the green door.

Zane stayed behind.

Here he found the puppet from the Forest Shrine in grey,

"It's a test to see how far you've come by the spirits that guard each temple. They will unblock the path with each boss you defeat because it'll be proof to them that you may have the power to defeat Shanklin" Came Zane' voice

"Wind Waker" Link said before dealing with it, no problems at all,

The guardian of the Forest Shrine appeared to Link for the first time. He recognised her instantly, it was his Nanna.

"Nanna!" Link yelped, "Tell me you're not dead too"

"No Link I'm not. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you who I really was, I was a direct descendent of Saria'. Not all of the Korki to venture out became human or Skull Kids, some got scared and hid in the form of a dancing leaf, I guard these too as well as the Deku Tree. I'm so proud of you Link. Your sister is too. The path to the next test is open to you, save Zelda, save Hyrule, save the world"

With that she disappeared; there was a shudder and Link left the room to see that they had more track to travel on.

Link got back into the cart and up to the next floor they went.

Here he found a blue door.

In this room Link found the Octopus from the Hylia Shrine. This was harder to deal with because he no longer had his blue tunic, but somehow he managed to defeat it.

Before he could drink some hot spring water the Guardian of the Hylian Shrine appeared.

It was Aqua,

"Thank you again Link, the Zora' feel certain that you can save us now and our diving contest is going ahead, just later than we'd planned. We've also sent an invite to Zelda' friend Ruler. She's good.

The path to the next test is open to you, save Zelda, save Hyrule, save the world"

With that he disappeared, there was a shudder and Link left the room.

He jumped into the cart and on they went, up to the next floor.

Here he found a red door.

In this room Link found a skeletal version of the dragon he'd aided and used his sword to call BOTW Link to him.

This Link was only too happy to help. He'd been thirsty for a real fight.

BOTW Link and Link worked well together and after some effort and the use of BOTW Link' ice arrows they were able to defeat it.

The dragon appeared before them and bowed.

"Thank you Link and Link, you use your sword and your hidden powers well. The path to the next test is open to you"

With that he diappeared, BOTW Link returned to the sword, there was a rumble and Link left the room.

Link jumped back into the cart and onto the next floor they went.

The door here was white.

Within this next room Link found a skeletal version of the Mayer.

Link used BOTW Link' powers of slowing down time to defeat him and once he had Bongo appeared.

"Turn' out I had an important role after all Link, come back and see us when this is over, I want to race you propperly" He said, Link smiled and nodded, "The path to the next test is open to you, be careful Link, your father fell before he could defeat him"

Link nodded, Bongo disappeared, there was a shudder and Link left the room.

Link jumped back into the cart and up to the second to last floor they went

Here there was a yellow door.

In this next room he was faced with a skeletal version of the waiter' mother, this time Link had light arrows, having anticipated what Shanklin would do if the waiter' mother was defeated he had convinced Zelph to halve her arrows with him and with a combination of these and his pips to freeze her temporarily he was able to defeat her.

To Link' surprise the Waiter appeared before him.

"My spirit can overpower the mask one time but unless you can strike a deal with the Happy Mask Salesman I'll be stuck with the Fierce Diety mask forever. Yes, you knew what that mask was the minute you saw it didn't you? Your father is of the fallen hero time line but his soul lends some of it's strength to that mask, if it didn't and you fail then Shade would be stuck in Termnia forever. Doomed to repeat three days over and over. The only one to age. For someone that saved Hyrule without Hyrule ever knowing about it, that hardly seems fair does it?" The waiter said, "Good luck Hero of Time, the path to Shanklin is open for you"

Link nodded as the waiter disappeared, there was a shudder and Link left the room.

One last time Link jumped into the cart and up into the attic they went.

"I'm on my own now aren't I?" Link said to Zane. Zane was upset, "It's going to be OK...Navi"

Zane smiled and he and Lnki shared a hug before Link entered the attic to face Shanklin.

The real Shanklin was taller than Link was expecting.

As Link entered the room Shanklin was draining Zelph' power and life force,

Link was angry now and his retrieval of the Master Sword got Shanklin' full attention.

"You made it this far?" Shaklin asked, then he saw the sword, "Hmm, maybe I underestimated you"

"Is that supposed to impress me? You killed my parents, you had my sister kidnapped and then you took Zelda for good measure. Did you really think, after all this I wouldn't come and rescue her?"

Shanklin laughed.

"You're all the same, "I'm doing this for her" well did you ever stop to think that this girl might be the reason your parents are dead?!"

"That girl you've taken, she is not her mother! She didn't ask for any of this, she doesn't want unity she wants to be Prom Queen for a stupid school dance, she wants to have friends, she doesn't want to rule an entire kingdome or ask the Garudo to forgive and forget what some Hyrule King did to protect his people thousands of years ago!"

"Maybe not now but it's in her DNA, this is the only chance my people have to take back what should have been ours! To get revenge on the Sheika that abandoned us!" Shanklin yelled, shaking the whole building.

"Well good job I'm here to stop you then!" Link yelled back

Shanklin laughed and then turned into a huge beast. Though terrified Link stood his ground. He found a way to reactivate the armour so he woudn't get hurt, no matter what Shanklin in beast form did to him.

He then used BOTW Link' powers to slow time right down, then side stepped, jumped up and slashed the first Tri-Force symbol into the beast' back.

The beast screeched and ran around the room, causing masonary to fall. Link just brushed this off and glared at the beast. The beast came at him again, this time Link slowed time down and climbed up and over his head, before flipping and slicing the second Tri-Force symbol into his back,

The beast fired Link back and into the wall, this hurt as the force had deactivated the armour, but Link just shook it off and ran straight at the beast as the beast ran straight at him. He slowed time down, ran up his head, flipped and slashed the third Tri-Force piece into his back then jumped into the air and used the finishig blow on him.

The beast turned back into Shanklin,

"No! It can't be!" He cried beofre slamming his hand into the floor and transporting him to the highschool in America.

"What the?" Link said in shock.

The place was deserted.

Zelph appeared on the ground at Link' feet, she was really weak but Link managed to get her out of Shanklin' way,

"Link...you have to finished this" She gasped

Shanklin laughed as a black Tri-Force appeared in the ground and black smoke started to rise from it,

"Skyward Sword! I knew someone was missing" Link said

Link whistled and a giant red bird flew down from the sky and scooped him and Zelph up and away from Shanklin and Cannon, who was slowly climbing out of the ground.

Once he was high up enough Link called on the power of the sky, drawing it down to the blade of his Master Sword, before jumping from the bird.

"Link!" Zelph screamed.

Link drove the sword ito the back of Shanklin, there was a bright light that engulfed everything and shook everything, even bringing buildings down and as the light faded the Tri-Force sign was now gold, the sword was embedded in it and Shanklin and Cannon were gone.

"I could't have called that power without the forth Tri-Force piece" Link said as the red bird landed with Zelph.

Zelph go down as Link removed the sword.

The blade was dull and silent now.

"You did it Link, you saved us" Zelph said, "The whole state must have been evacuated because of the quakes, we are pretty close to the ocean here...for the record I never wanted to be Prom Queen"

"He's gone" Link said, looking up in tears.

Zelph knew who he was talking about and the two embraced and cried together.

For the next few days Link, Zelph and Zane went all around Hyrule, in the present and the past and brought a few more along for the ride. First they went back to pick up Mya and Nanna. Skit invited himself along too but Link didn't mind, he was compay for Nanna.

They went to Old Castle Town where Link cornered the Happy Mask Salesman.

After a hefty price, paid for by Zane he agreed to remove the Firce Diety mask from the waiter and give it to the one, that started the business in the era of the Ocorina.

The waiter was warped from the town to his kitchen, scaring the life out of his wife, who threw a frying pan at him.

Next they went to Goron City during the Hyrule Civil War, where Link entrusted the leader with the Hero' Bow and Skit raced with the Gorons and won, causing them to ban non Goron' from the race there on in, but non Goron' could still watch.

Skit was very tickled by this.

Link, Zelph and Zane raced with the Yeti', watched by the others and Link told the Mayer to stop comparing his sons, they each had their own paths and minds and he should express pride in both of them.

Next they went to Zoras' Domain to watch the diving competion, this was Mya' favourite event of all.

Ruler did really well for her first Zora competion and was honoured to be chosen.

She took to Aqua straight away but her advances sent him flying into the lagoon below as he had never experienced affection before. He didn't know what to do with it.

Link told Ruler to give him time and she laughed.

It was the best week of Link' life but all too soon he was stood in a large Cathedral in Japan with the Tri-Force symbol on the floor and two coffins behind him. That of his mother and that of his father.

Mya was crying by his side, Nanna and a sombre Skit were sat on a bench to their left.

The priest was doing his final blessing when Zelph, The King, Borack, Aqua and the waiter arrived, along with his Epona and his father' Epona.

There was somone else familiar there too, a new Knight for the King; it was Colin.

"Did you honestly think after everything that we wouldn't be here for you Link?" Zelph said

Link cried as Zelph reached him and they shared a hug,

Zelph stepped back and Borak hugged Link, gently this time,

"Stay strong my brother" He said

Link nodded through the tears and then he was hugged by Aqua and then had a handshake with the waiter before the King then said a few words.

"I was wrong when I said hero' don't cry, a real hero does" The King told him

"We will now move from here to the cemetary where I will say a few more prayers and we will lay these two to rest so if you'll follow after Link and his sister..." The priest said

Link fell apart again as Skit stood up and helped the King, Borak, Aqua and the waiter to carry his parent' coffins.

Link then got up onto his Epona, Nanna didn't feel comfortable so declined and stood behind the horses. Zelph helped Mya onto Link' father' Epona before climbing up herself and following the coffins.

Outside Hylian, Kokiri, Korki both young and old, Ordon, Zora', Sheika, Goron and Hylian lined both sides of the street alongside well wishers from Tokyo, who had come out to pay their respects, stunned by how enormous and how much press the funeral had received.

For this Link had a stiff upper lip but he was incredibly touched.

His life had changed forver and though, right now he was mourning his greatest loss he couldn't have been more grateful for what that loss had brought into his life.

Hyrule and more importantly...Zelda

In the centre of the Tri-Force symbol in the Temple of Time stands the Master Sword, waiting for the day it will be called on once again.

The End