Link listened with silent anger as the Demon King and his warrior ridiculed him for being a coward. He found his father's blue eyes, and they were tender instead of stern. Horus reached with fading strength to rest a hand on his son's shoulder. "You can save her, Link," he encouraged in a raspy, weak voice.
Link squeezed his eyes closed, desperately trying to hide from the harsh truth of reality. Tears escaped the corners of his eyes. "There is nothing that can stop those monsters. I tried to warn them, Dad. It was too late! They're all dead. They kill senselessly. How do you stop someone like that, someone with no conscious?" he asked, desperately trying to make sense of recent events.
"This is the evil you have denied for so long, that everyone has forgotten, and taken our peace for granted," he explained in a soft voice. "You are witnessing their bloodlust first hand. They are the King and Queen of Evil from a time long forgotten. I cannot imagine how they have returned, but their intention is clear." His dad coughed as he became short of breath simply from talking. "So is the way to defeat them. You were born to fight against them and win. That is why the Master Sword was created. Link, you must go to the castle and save the princess. She can guide you to the Triforce, which can be used to save Hyrule."
"Dad," Link began, uncertain.
"No, you cannot back down from this. There is no other option. If you don't try, everything will be gone. If you run, you will live the rest of your life regretting it," Horus said firmly. "Don't live and die with regrets. Don't be like me," he begged, fighting off another cough.
"I need you," Link whispered, tears cutting off his words. "I can't do this without you!"
"My journey is over. Tell your mom and sister I love them. Most of all, I am sorry I was not a better father to you, son. Just know everything I have done is because I wanted only the best for you," he confessed, his voice barely a whisper.
Link gritted his teeth, desperately trying to remain strong so that his dad's last moments were not of his son weeping. He forced his eyes to stay open, and to never look away. "I'm sorry I never listened to you. And since I will never have the chance to say it to you again, you were right, and I will fix this. I love you, Dad," Link said, raising his voice as if it would stop Horus from closing his eyes one last time.
"I love you too. I know you can do it. Good luck," he said with his final breath.
Link closed his hands into fists and tears flowed freely like waterfalls from his eyes. He stared at his dad's resting face, while desperately wishing it was all a sick joke. He wanted to wake up from the nightmare and have all of his friends stand up, shout surprise, and it would all be over. The reality was more difficult to swallow than the tears that tightened his throat. "This is all my fault. Instead of standing to fight, I encouraged everyone to run. Had I just joined my comrades, the outcome might have been different."
A distant voice in the back of his head, which sounded exactly like his father, spoke up. The voice reminded him the only difference is he would have died too. If he had fought, all hope for Hyrule would have been lost.
All of those knights, every innocent citizen of Hyrule who lost their life to those demons, depended on him to avenge their death. Link could not allow the death of his comrades to be in vain. They had bravely risked their lives for Hyrule, so Link vowed to make it count.
"I promise, Dad, I won't disappoint you anymore. I was wrong about everything. I'm just sorry I realized it too late. I had no idea that such villains could ever exist. I still don't know why it has to be me, but I will do what I can, what I have to, to make things right. I will not allow Hyrule to be destroyed."
The tears were staunched by the rise of determination. Link found the strength to stand. He decided his first destination needed to be home for only a minute, and then to save the princess.
His run home was filled with far away screams and shouts, the crashing of buildings collapsing and tumbling to the ground, horrifying sounds that made his soul weep. His mind wandered with prayers for lost lives, and for the loved ones left behind to endure this time of darkness. Link knew time was short, so his pace home was quick. All he needed to do was hug his mom and his sister, even though she was annoying, just in case he did not survive. He just needed to know they were well, and that would give him the final strength he needed to fulfill his destiny.
The sight of his destroyed home left Link petrified. He forced himself to run toward it, instead of the other direction, and escaped the thoughts that told him to surrender. He did not fail to notice that the other homes stood completely untouched, while his house, on that street at least, was the only one damaged. It was clear this was deliberately meant to weaken his resolve.
How could that man have known where he lived? Did that mean the dream about Ganondora being in his room was not a dream at all? If that was true, why did she allow him to live? Did it all have something to do with the Demon King? A hundred more questions rushed through his mind in the seconds it took to reach his home. He hoped his family was still alive, but the home was completely flattened. The crumbled roof sat on the ground. His neighbors, the friendly Gorons next door, were still outside in the lawn, but it was only the mom, the daughter, and the old man. Link locked eyes with the old man who slowly shook his head.
Link took cautious steps toward the rubble of the house, and found the only answer he needed to his question. There was an arm, most likely belonging to his mom because it wore a cleaning glove, and a leg that ended with his sister's obnoxious pink boot. Link never doubted that they were holding onto each other when they were killed. He slowly sank to his knees, and tried to wrap his mind around the devastation.
"I always hoped this day would never come," the old Goron said as he approached Link. "I am so sorry about your family, and that you must be put through these trials."
Link ignored the old man at first, but not because he was trying to be rude, only because his mind was numb.
"We are all counting on you, Link. Please, for my children and grandchildren, and for their children to have a bright future, we need your help," he pleaded.
"Who are they? Why do they do this?" the hero wondered softly, finally rising after whispering a prayer so that his mother's and sister's souls could rest.
"The King and Queen of Evil are born from a race that went extinct hundreds of years ago. They were Gerudo, thieves of the greatest skill. He was the new born male, and became king according to their beliefs. Except, no one knew he was reborn with the hate and vengeance of a great demon, Demise, whose only desire is to seek the Triforce. He would use it to kill Hylia, and destroy this world. Ganondorf has no desire to destroy it, he wants to conquer it. He obtained the Triforce by breaking into the Sacred Realm, with the help of his wife, Ganondora. She was taken to a void where the Master Sword healed from Ganondorf's corruptive magic, while he claimed the Triforce. However, his band of thieves wanted the power for their own. He slaughtered them all," the Goron explained gravely. "Ganondorf was sealed in the Sacred Realm by the Triforce, and then again by seven sages. When his queen returned, she helped free him. Since then, a hero has always risen to save us from their chaos and power."
"Wife," Link repeated. "Married? That's… crazy."
"If it weren't for her, Ganondorf would not be as strong as he is today, or even exist. That is not to say he relies on her to control Hyrule, but she has played important roles in securing the victories they do have."
Link glanced back at his home, and then looked at the castle. His eyes popped open suddenly. The explosions were gone. "No. I've wasted too much time. I have to go." He turned to ran straight for the castle, and barely paused to acknowledge the slain Goron on the sidewalk of the next block.