After fighting his way through the hordes of the Demon King (with the help of the Sages, of course), Link found himself in a small, dome-shaped chamber in the lowest point of the Depths. The Sages had remained behind to battle the copies of the monsters that once occupied the temples. Still in a mummified state, Ganondorf stood upon a small pedestal above him, in a meditating position. His eyes were still black pits of darkness. Nonetheless, the very sight of him filled Link's heart with unending fury.
"So, we finally see each other plainly," Ganondorf growled. "We don't have that princess in our way this time."
Link gritted his teeth and clenched both fists, but he said nothing. He didn't want to show any weakness before his nemesis.
"I see you went to the trouble of repairing your sword," continued the Demon King. "Such a shame you brought it here to be broken again."
"You won't find it that easy this time," Link spat back. He reached up to his back, and pulled the Master Sword out of its scabbard. The blade glowed blue with ethereal light. "And this time, you won't cripple me and walk away unscathed."
Ganondorf chuckled to himself. "You seem upset, little man," he laughed. "Still sore over the loss of your arm?" He pointed at Link's right arm. "Rauru seems to have solved that little problem for you."
That did it.
"My arm? You think this is about my arm?!" Link screamed. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU DID TO ZELDA?! TO HYRULE?!"
"Zelda? That pathetic, good-for-nothing welp?" demanded Ganondorf. "What use was she? What could she possibly—"
With an enraged roar, Link swung the Master Sword, creating a crescent-shape energy blade in the air. The beam flew forward, aiming to cut Ganondorf in half, but the Demon King lurched to the side at the last second, and received only a graze on the hip. Nevertheless, he shouted in surprise as it cut his withered flesh.
"Never. Insult. Zelda. In front of me," Link snarled.
Ganondorf stood up on his emaciated legs. "That's the way you want it? Fine. Let's get this over with."
With that, he raised his fist and punched the ground, causing Gloom to erupt and envelope his body. When it cleared a second later, his body was restored to its original, middle-aged appearance, with his hair tied above his head. He didn't have the massive, burning locks or horns of his demon king form, but he still towered over Link. Ganondorf leaped down from his perch, landing in front of Link with a thump. He drew a katana from its sheath.
"Make no mistake. I will conquer this land. I will rule," he continued. "Try to keep things interesting for me while you last, won't you?"
With that, he took a swipe at Link with his blade, which was quickly blocked by the latter's Hylian Shield. Link grunted as he was forced backwards a few feet. He could already tell that Ganondorf was hardly trying. His enemy was likely recalling their first encounter, and figured Link would be just as much of a pushover as he had been. He was wrong.
Ganondorf raised his sword again, and brought it down in a descending vertical slash. Link parried with his shield, knocking the Demon King off-balance, and followed up with an attack of his own, digging a cut into Ganondorf's stomach. Ganondorf grunted in actual surprise, before Gloom emerged to seal up the wound.
Link continued his assault, thrusting the Master Sword forward in a stabbing motion. However, Ganondorf leaped to the side with practiced skill, in a move that Link knew he'd used against multiple charging lynels. With a wave of his arm, Ganondorf caused his sword to dissolve into Gloom, and punched forward with his now-free hand. Link managed to duck, but still received a glancing blow on the side of his head that sent him spinning to the ground.
"I will admit, I didn't expect you to land one blow," laughed Ganondorf, conjuring up a massive spiked club. "Still, this has been all too easy."
He brought the club down in a powerful overhead swing, but Link rolled out of the way, and bounced back on his feet. Before Ganondorf could do the same, Link stabbed forward with the Master Sword, piercing the Demon King's shoulder with the tip. Ganondorf roared, rolling backwards before Link could push the sword deeper.
"Stings, doesn't it?" asked Link, shaking the sword to get the Gloom-tainted blood off the tip.
Ganondorf merely chuckled in response. "I'd almost forgotten how thrilling a good fight was. Maybe this will be entertaining after all."
"Don't count on it!"
Link and Ganondorf both lunged again, weapons raised. The Demon King swung his club in a massive arc, which Link narrowly ducked under. He brought the Master Sword upwards, but Ganondorf did a quick backflip, evading the blade. Link gritted his teeth, realizing that his enemy was starting to use his own tricks against him. Ganondorf then proceeded to kick outwards with one foot, which Link narrowly intercepted with his shield. Link followed up with a quick spin attack, nicking Ganondorf on the pectorals in the process.
As Ganondorf gave another shout of pain and jumped backwards, Link took a moment to assess the threat. The Demon King's wounds were sealing up with Gloom, as they had when he'd broken the Master Sword, but this time, they weren't fully healing. The Master Sword was actually leaving scars this time, meaning the injuries were actually hurting him. That certainly brought a smile to Link's face.
"You know, we could stop this fight now," he said. "I can tell this is probably the first time in a while you've felt actual pain. You could give up now, and I'll make it quick."
Ganondorf stood blinking for a couple of seconds, before he threw back his head and laughed again. "Perhaps you're not one of those pathetic, peace-loving whelps that cower beyond the walls of this chamber," he replied. "Still, I haven't even begun to use my full might."
His club dissolved into Gloom as the Secret Stone embedded in his crown began to glow green. Gloom rose up from the ground, eclipsing Ganondorf from view as he crossed his arms over his body. With a roar, he thrust both arms outwards, releasing a wave of Gloom across the entire chamber, forcing Link to put up his Hylian Shield again. Once the wind stopped, he lowered the shield, revealing Ganondorf had switched to his Demon King form, complete with black and red robes, flowing red hair, and horns. His eyes were black pits of darkness. With a snap of his fingers, Ganondorf summoned a naginata, and twirled the weapon between two fingers.
Link snorted. "So you look a little scarier. Big deal. I'm taking you down, and nothing's going to stop me!"
"You may try," Ganondorf growled, "but you're a little outnumbered now."
Link's eyes quickly glanced around him. His eyebrows shot up as he realized that, while transforming, Ganondorf had summoned five Phantom Ganons that had encircled him, all with swords drawn. Link swallowed.
"I'll be taking a lot more than your arm this time," continued Ganondorf. "Any last requests?"
Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword. "You already took Zelda away from the world," he muttered. "You won't take anything from anyone else."
The Phantoms began to advance on him, but before they could take their first swings, a flurry of arrows came out of nowhere, pelting the dark beings and forcing them back. Link turned his head, discovering that the five Sages had managed to break through the barrier and had arrived to back him up.
"Sorry we're late, Link!" said Tulin. "Killing those monsters again took longer than we thought!"
"Now we're here to help you out!" exclaimed Yunobo. He swung his massive Boulder Breaker, catching one of the Phantoms off-guard and sending it flying into a wall.
"We will strike you down, Demon King!" shouted Riju.
Sidon and Mineru both roared their affirmations as well, as each engaged a Phantom Ganon in combat. The true Ganondorf groaned in frustration.
"Foolish Sages," he grumbled. "Still, this changes nothing. You all are here to witness a king's revival, and a king's conquest."
"I don't think so," retorted Link.
Ganondorf stabbed forward with his naginata, but Link used the Master Sword to redirect the tip away from his body. He aimed a slash at Ganondorf's neck, but the Demon King managed to avoid a hit on his flesh, instead losing a lock of hair. Ganondorf then spun his weapon, forcing Link to bend over backwards to escape getting cut. Unfortunately, he realized half a second too late that he'd blundered into a trap. Ganondorf's foot came out and kicked him in the stomach, sending him onto his back. With Link vulnerable, Ganondorf raised his spear, intent on stabbing Link through the heart.
Before he could make his move, a blue projectile came flying out from behind Link and struck the Demon King in the face, creating a small explosion. He roared, and Link quickly made use of the opportunity to leap to his feet and slash Ganondorf across the pectorals. Taking a quick glance behind him, Link realized that Mineru had fired a blast from the cannon attached to her arm, probably saving his life in the process.
"We're with you, Link," she declared, as her construct body reared back and punched a Phantom Ganon in the face with her free arm.
Link smiled. Perhaps this fight wouldn't be as impossible as he'd predicted.
Turning, he resumed his fight with Ganondorf. The Demon King spun his spear between his fingers, attempting to land several small cuts on Link's body. However, Link's reflexes, quick as ever, enabled him to deflect the blade every time it came close to his flesh with either his sword or shield. Ganondorf was clearly growing frustrated, gritting his teeth in fury as he swiped and stabbed with the naginata. Every time he slipped up, Link would swing the Master Sword, and the tip would cut into the Demon King's skin. Meanwhile, the Phantoms were failing to even scratch the Sages. With a grunt, Ganondorf pushed his palm against Link's shield, and leaped away, putting some distance between the two of them.
"Had enough yet?" Link demanded.
"Not even close," Ganondorf replied, raising his free hand.
The Phantoms began to dissolve into Gloom, flying away from their positions next to the Sages they were fighting. The energy gathered together just below the ceiling into one big glob, and flew towards Ganondorf, gathering in his palm. Link's eyes widened as he realized what the Demon King was doing. He attempted to shout, to warn the Sages, but he was too slow. Ganondorf stomped his foot, releasing the gathered Gloom in one massive shockwave that permeated the entire chamber, smacking into each Sage, sending them flying to the walls. Only Link, who'd known what was coming, managed to duck under the blast. When he stood once more, the five Sages were all slumped against the walls, with Mineru's construct in particular having several cracks in it. Ganondorf said nothing, merely grinning sadistically, and beckoning to Link with two fingers.
Link tensed himself. He'd been hoping he'd have the Sages to rely on for the duration of the fight. Ganondorf wasn't invincible, but he was still the strongest enemy Link had faced thus far. Taking him down without aid wouldn't be easy. However, if that was what it took to avenge Zelda, Link would do it. There was no other option, not even failure.
Ganondorf waved his hand, dissolving his spear into a bow, and primed an arrow. Link barely had time to raise his shield to block three shots. The Demon King then charged forward in the blink of an eye, and punched Link's Hylian shield, denting it. With another swipe of his fist, Ganondorf shattered the shield into small metal fragments, and Link was left holding a useless handle.
"A little more interesting now, isn't it?" he laughed, conjuring up his naginata once again.
Link roared as he tossed the handle to one side and raised his sword. Ganondorf merely vaulted over the incoming swing, and stabbed outwards. The spear blade nicked the side of Link's cheek, and he felt the Gloom drain his vitality. However, he didn't let it deter him, and slashed again, giving Ganondorf an identical wound on his own face.
Ganondorf snarled in pain, giving the new wound on his cheek a quick wipe. Then, he began spinning the naginata in a circle, dazing Link and making it difficult for him to ascertain where the next attack would come from. In a surprise maneuver, Ganondorf made a downwards, horizontal slash, cutting through Link's left boot and allowing the Gloom to seep into his feet. Link screamed as he lost his footing, falling onto one knee, but still managing to raise the Master Sword to block Ganondorf's follow-up stab.
"Why do you continue to fight?" demanded Ganondorf. "You are outmatched, and your Sage friends aren't coming to save you this time. Haven't you realized that it's hopeless?"
Link glared into the black pits Ganondorf had for eyes. "You don't understand," he spat. "You could never understand. It's not about whether I can or can't kill you. I have to. That's all there is to it."
The Demon King didn't even get a chance to respond, as Link suddenly swung the Master Sword, batting the naginata away. Link then rose back onto both feet, though it sent a stab of pain through his left leg, and stabbed forward. The Master Sword missed Ganondorf's heart, but managed to pierce his gut, going up to the halfway point of the blade. The very tip punched through Ganondorf's back, the shining blue blade coated with black blood.
Ganondorf screamed in agony, seizing the blade with both hands and yanking it out of his body. Link, undeterred, swung again, and lopped off one of Ganondorf's horns, eliciting another scream. The Demon King lashed out with both fists, forcing Link to hop backwards and giving him some room to breathe.
As he stared down his mortal enemy again, Link again felt confident about his chances. Ganondorf's new wounds were bleeding freely, as though his dark powers were no longer enough to heal him. Shadowy, viscous blood dripped from his head and his stomach, more from the latter, forcing the Demon King to cover it up with one hand. He was panting, and having trouble standing up for the first time since the fight began.
"It...cannot end...this way!" Ganondorf screamed.
"Tough luck," Link snarled back. He stood up once more, though he felt a stab of pain from his foot wound. "You can't win here. Nothing will stop me from beating you."
"Is that what you believe?!" Ganondorf screamed again. "You think you're stronger than me?! That your might eclipses mine?!" He reached up to the crown on his forehead, wrapped his fingers around the Secret Stone, and wrenched it free. The Stone left a pit of bubbling black blood in his forehead. Link's eyes widened as he realized exactly what the Demon King was going to do.
"Are you insane?!" he demanded. "You'll destroy—"
"I DON'T CARE!" bellowed Ganondorf. "MY MIND...MY BODY...EVERYTHING! I'LL SACRIFICE IT ALL TO DESTROY YOU, AND BLANKET HYRULE IN DARKNESS!" With those final words, he jammed the Secret Stone into his mouth and swallowed it.
Link swore as Gloom began to erupt from Ganondorf's body yet again. The red-tinted shadowy power eclipsed the Demon King's entire form, yet Link could still hear him laughing. Suddenly, the entire room lit up with an explosive burst of pale pink light, and a massive, Gloom-covered, serpentine form flew out from where Ganondorf had once stood. No features on the newly-created dragon's body could be discerned, except for two glowing yellow eyes. Link frantically raised his shield as the dragon flew towards him, but it was in vain. The dragon's head slammed into him, lifting his feet off the ground and carrying him through the air.
"LINK!" he faintly heard Sidon shout, but he was past the point of caring.
The dragon made a quick loop around the chamber before flying towards the ceiling and punching through the rock like it was paper. Link was dragged as the beast flew through more layers than he could count until they finally breached through the ground, flying out of the ground and exposing themselves to the sun once more. The Gloom that had covered the dragon's body faded away in the light, revealing a green-scaled body, with Ganondorf's red mane, and what appeared to be five pairs of horns arranged around the snout. The eyes glowed red, blue, green, and yellow at the same time. Link remained clinging to one of the dragon's teeth, which was bigger than his entire body, as the Demon Dragon snaked across the sky.
Link managed to wrap his arms around one of the dragon's gargantuan fangs and hung on for dear life. As he and the dragon continued their ascent, he weighed his options. The good news was that, since he was exposed to sunlight once more, Ganondorf's Gloom had faded from his wounds, and they were less painful. He could probably stand on his injured foot now with minimal pain. The bad news was that he had no idea how to kill Ganondorf in this state. As far as Mineru had explained, Secret Stone dragons were immortal, even against the might of the Master Sword. Link was at a loss for what to do next, and—
His thoughts were cut off by a familiar roar coming from the distance. Link turned his eyes towards the sound, discovering a familiar, white scaled, serpentine form flying towards them. His jaw dropped as the Light Dragon, formerly Zelda, accelerated faster and faster towards the Demon Dragon, who took notice of the enemy approaching what he now considered his territory.
The Demon Dragon made a snapping lunge towards the Light Dragon that was narrowly avoided. As the two dragons flew parallel to each other, Link saw his chance, and took it. He let go of the Demon Dragon's fang and landed on the bushy gold mane of the Light Dragon. He ran his hand through the hair, finding the same familiar feel and scent.
"Zelda...?" he ventured, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
Zelda didn't speak, but she made no attempt to shake him off, either. Instead, she began ascending to the skies above the Demon Dragon, dodging a handful of fireballs the beast sent their way. Link understood at once, and drew the Master Sword again.
"Right," he said. "Let's get him."
Down below, the Demon Dragon continued to spew purplish-red flames, but the Zelda was too fast for him. Link took a look down at his enemy, trying to decide where he should attack. Beneath the blood-red mane of the dragon, Link saw a flash of green light. He realized it had to be the Secret Stone, taken from Queen Sonia so long ago, and an idea occurred to him. If it was responsible for Ganondorf's transformation, what would happen if it were destroyed?
Link gripped one of Zelda's horns as they flew above the Demon Dragon. More fireballs came from his gaping maw, but Zelda dived and swerved, allowing the attacks to curve around her body. Once he saw an opening, Link tensed his legs and dived off of Zelda's head, aiming himself at the crown of the Demon Dragon. He angled his body so his head was pointed downwards, increasing the speed of his descent. He didn't dare produce his paraglider, knowing it would make him a sitting duck in midair. Link tilted his body to avoid a fireball, and landed directly in the mane of the dragon.
The Demon Dragon, naturally, wasn't happy at this latest development, and began thrashing. Link managed to grip one of the horns before he was tossed off with one hand, and then whipped out the Master Sword, its blade continuing to glow bright blue. With one slash, he cut away the hair of the Demon Dragon's mane, revealing the Secret Stone beneath it. Link firmly planted both boots onto the scaled head, and plunged the sword into the Secret Stone.
The effect was immediate. The Stone cracked, light and Gloom pouring out from within it. The Demon Dragon twitched and roared, and one hand wasn't enough to keep Link anchored to it. He shouted as he flew off, but Zelda zoomed under, catching him. Link took hold of her mane, and looked up at the Demon Dragon. The Gloom continued to leak from his body, new wounds opening up on his lengthy body. The Gloom began to stain the sky blood red. The Demon Dragon gave one final roar as he rose into the air, obscuring the moon. Pale pink light broke out of the Secret Stone, and the Demon Dragon, once Ganondorf, exploded.
Final chapter coming soon!