Had Zelda accepted the invitation to eat, she would have choked on her food. Instead, she choked on her own spit. She began coughing madly at the burning sensation in her throat, her mind trying to come up with a thousand answers to a question that she was not sure if she had heard correctly.
Did Ganondorf, her sworn enemy, just ask her to join him on his delusional quest to godhood?
"Join you?" Zelda asked, letting out another cough right after that. "Ganondorf, do you hear yourself? Why do you think that I would help you?"
"Why wouldn't you?" He asked. "We both desire freedom and we both despise the Hands! By becoming gods, we will have the power to seize the destiny that was stolen from us!"
"Yes, I know that, but…" Zelda paused, thinking carefully about what she wanted to say. "That also means that I would have to form an alliance with Dharkon, am I correct?"
"That can be arranged," Ganondorf said with a smirk. "And once we are powerful enough and he stops being useful, we can easily overthrow him."
Zelda opened her mouth to reply, but a sudden crashing noise in the distance cut her line of thought and made her look behind her. She saw a version of her standing by the door, unbothered and with the passive expression of someone who knew their place.
She turned back to Ganondorf and asked, "And the puppet fighters? Would I be able to control them?"
"Of course you would," Ganondorf said. "They would be at your beck and call."
"Even the ones that look like-"
"Yes, even the ones that look like me," he sighed, exasperated. "I wager that this part interests you the most."
"Nooooo…" Zelda said, looking behind her once again.
It was not of her interest in the slightest, to have Ganondorf's image serve her like a queen. She simply thought that the idea was amusing, that was all to it. She was sure that Ganondorf also found a lot of humor in ordering her puppet around, so it was only fair that she indulged in that thought exercise.
Zelda stared at the obedient Sheik puppet standing right by his side. The view became no less surreal the more she looked at them.
"Zelda, think carefully about what I am proposing," he said. "You could have everything."
"Everything, huh…"
"You would be the master of your own destiny. Think about what you could do with that!"
Zelda quietly contemplated what she offered, her eyes glued to the bow of red, delicious apples. Practically speaking, it was not a terrible idea. By acquiring power, she didn't need the Hands to fix the damage that the conflict between Dharkon and Galeem caused in this world. She could have the power to heal it herself. She wouldn't need to fear being attacked anymore, she would be untouchable.
The Hands would be punished for all the trouble that they had caused to this world as well. They would be punished for what they had done to her. She would not have to fear that, after everything she had gone through, she would go back to the mundane, stressful life of an entertainer that she had yet to understand why she hesitated so much to let go. No more tournaments, no more blood sports, no more fear that some devoted fan was invading her space. After all, devotion towards her would be the very obedient puppets that occupied that space.
She could have all the power. She could use her power to see the change that she actually wanted to see.
She could create a world according to what was right.
She was certain that Ganondorf thought the same as her.
Zelda was silent for a brief moment. That brief moment could have been seconds, but it could also have been minutes. Ganondorf waited with the patience of a saint, savoring the food that had probably grown cold by that point. She then took a deep breath and looked back at Ganondorf.
She asked, "And then what?"
"And then what, princess?" He asked.
"What will happen after we overthrow Dharkon and Galeem?" Zelda asked, tightening her fists. "What is the future that you wish to create?"
"A future in which we are free to rule over all, of course," Ganondorf said.
"A world in which your values rule above all else?"
"Naturally."
"And is there any room for me in this ideal future of yours?"
The smile that Ganondorf just gave her might have been one of the most bone chilling things that Zelda had ever witnessed. It was wide and full of malice and hatred and it made her knuckles go white. Yet, she remained firm as she asked:
"Once we establish our rule, what will happen to our alliance? Answer me, Ganondorf."
Ganondorf did not answer. She expected as much.
"Once I stop being useful to your plans, will you try to discard me in the same way you plan on discarding Dharkon?" Zelda asked. "Are we to enter into yet another power struggle once it is just us and the many, many puppets that have no will of their own?"
There was another pause.
"So you noticed."
"How is it going to be any different than what Galeem and Dharkon are doing? How is it any different than the occasional fights Master Hand and Crazy Hand get into?" She pressed on. "We would just be repeating this constant cycle of conflict, while everyone else would be caught in a petty power struggle between gods."
Ganondorf silently listened as he ate, seemingly more amused that his true intentions were revealed than anything else.
Zelda got up from her seat, which was enough to make the puppet fighters guarding the door get into an offensive stance. She said, "Because we both know that once I stop being useful to you, I will refuse to accept my demise. You may try to lure me into this grand plan of yours by promising the change that I desire, by showing me what kind of control would be mine by dangling your puppet fighters right in front of me, but you're still the same selfish fool that believes that this time you have me figured out."
Without warning, Zelda grabbed an apple from the bowl and threw it at her foolish captor. Ganondorf caught the apple midair with one hand. Without even breaking a sweat, he crushed the apple and let its juices run through his fingers, his grin growing wider by the seconds.
"So this is your answer," he simply said. "What a shame."
"Am I wrong?" Zelda asked, just a little intimidated by the sight in front of her.
"No, I did plan on getting rid of you once I have established my rule," Ganondorf admitted as he stood up. The puppet fighters took a step forward. "What a shame that you are not the innocent little girl that I thought you were. You spoke like the Zelda that came before you."
"I am not her!" Zelda protested as she stood up. "I will never be her! But that doesn't mean that I am naive, either. I refuse to repeat this cycle!"
"Do not misunderstand me, though," Ganondorf said. "When I say that it is a shame that you refuse my offer, I also mourn for what our future conflict could have been. I have been yearning for the cycle of our old world to repeat for quite some time. However, it appears that my ascension to godhood will not be as interesting as I'd hoped."
Ganondorf stood up, tall and prideful and knowing full well that he had Zelda cornered. She looked at the puppet fighters and saw them approaching her with expressionless faces and a calm, murderous intent. She held her breath as she saw his fist be enveloped by a glowing, purple miasma. Her own hand began to create a small ember that would hopefully grow into a full Din's Fire before the approaching puppets jumped at her.
"You really should have accepted my offer and eaten something," he said. "This could have been your last supper."
Zelda's body tensed up, her eyes frantically looking around and her brain even more frantically trying to decide who to fight first. There was another crashing sound in the distance, but she barely paid attention to that. She eventually locked eyes with her double, who had also been charging Din's fire. Without thinking, Zelda shot Din's fire at her first, giving Ganondorf the opening that he needed to get closer to her. Before he could grab her, Zelda used Farore's Wind to regain her distance from him and the Sheik puppet that approached from the other side.
She could feel a bead of sweat run down her forehead as Ganondorf laughed and taunted her. "You can try getting rid of your double as much as you want, once I get your trophy form locked up, I will be able to create as many puppets of you as I desire."
Zelda brought her hand closer to her shoulder and began charging her summoning magic. She doubted that her Phantom Armor would be of much help, but she refused to fall without a fight.
However, help did come, but in another, unexpected way.
The dinner room's double door abruptly opened, catching the attention of everyone. Standing at the exit was a distressed young man wearing a disarrayed, purple tunic. The sword and gold and blue shield in his hands glistened under the warm light of the room, as well as his sweaty, shoulder length brown hair. He appeared to have been involved in a fight not long ago and the sound of footsteps in the distance, likely belonging to puppet fighters chasing him, seemed to prove that theory.
Who in the goddesses's names was that man?
"Not more of them…" the man lamented, raising his sword and shield. "Ugh, I'm getting really tired of this place."
"Seize that man!" Ganondorf ordered. "Don't let him get away!"
Ganondorf had already considered that man an enemy, so it was only natural for Zelda to consider him an ally. She took the opportunity of the puppet's sudden shift in attention to use Farore's Wind and teleport behind the bewildered newcomer, just distant enough that her sudden burst into the material plane wouldn't hurt him.
Before the newcomer could react, she grabbed him by the hem of his tunic and pulled him close to her. The man gasped as she spun them around and enveloped both of them in the reflective barrier of Nayru's Love, right in time to deflect a nasty burn from her double's Din's fire.
The newcomer, dizzy and confused by the sudden spin, uttered, "Wha-"
"Don't waste your time fighting them!" Zelda exclaimed as she kept her grip on his wrist. "We need to escape!"
Luckily, he made no attempt to question her. Both damsel and unexpected savior ran away as Ganondorf roared for his puppet fighters to go after them, making their way through the castle's vast corridor. The sound of footsteps grew dangerously close to them and a battle was almost guaranteed to happen, but she remained firm in her resolution to avoid it as much as possible.
Zelda could feel her blood pumping through her ears as they reached the grand entrance. Just a little further, all they had to do was to keep running.
It should have been simple. Zelda wished it would have been that simple.
Unfortunately, Wendy was waiting for them at the grand entrance, a malicious grin plastered on her pink lips and her eyes showing nothing but contempt. She raised her tiny leg over the edge of her Koopa car, showing off her sharp pink high heels and breathed out an ember of fire.
The ember was multicolored, like the flames of a spirit. The message was clear, she had a spirit with her and Zelda did not. She had the advantage, despite the fact that she would have to face two fighters at once.
Wendy looked so smug. It was the same smug expression whenever she bullied her, be it on the battlefield or outside of it, before Zelda had finally had enough and stood up for herself, before the world had ended. Wendy was enjoying every second of the promise to return to the days where she would use Zelda as a punching bag.
"And where do you think you're going, Zelda?" She asked, mockingly. "Did Ganondorf already tire of your company? I did warn him that you were dull and not even good-looking enough to make up for it. But alas, I couldn't convince him to not have bad taste."
"Yes, Wendy, I know that you don't think highly of me," Zelda said. "Let us through, so you won't need to deal with the distaste of looking at me any longer."
Wendy said, cruelly, "I have a much better idea! How about you turn around right now and get yourself killed? The world is way better off without your ugly…" her smile faltered the moment that she noticed the young man behind her. "Hey, now wait a second! Who is he?!"
She sure took her time to notice him. Not only that, but that was the first time Wendy saw the young man. She did not know who he was. She did not know where he came from.
Zelda heard the footsteps approaching. There was nowhere to run, except forward. If only Wendy and her damn Koopa car got out of the way…
And then Zelda had an epiphany. And so she smiled the sweetest, most infuriating smile that she could muster.
The captive princess intertwined her fingers with her savior's and brought him closer to her. She hugged his arm and made sure to press herself against him as much as she could, to the point where it would make his face blush from both the embarrassment and maybe something else. She rested her head on his shoulder and stared at Wendy straight in her eyes.
"He came all the way here just to rescue me from Ganondorf. He fought bravely against him and protected me from the puppet fighters," Zelda said, having to then squeeze the man's hand in order to signal for him to not say anything. She looked up, getting a good look at his face. It was then that Zelda realized, looking up so close, that the young man was very pleasing to the eye, even with the grime in his skin, even with his oily hair. She could only wonder just how pretty he really was when he was not fighting for his life.
She was sure that Wendy thought the same. She could see her former bully's body tremble, she could see the green envy in her blue eyes. How perfect.
Thank the goddesses, he took the hint and closed his mouth before he could say anything, allowing her to continue, "Unlike you, Wendy, I do have men who like and care about me. I am sure that Link is also on his way to rescue me, since he surely knows at this point that I have been kidnapped."
Wendy started up her Koopa car, the sound of the motor deadly silent, allowing Zelda to hear the approaching footsteps. The Koopaling was going to run over them.
"Who knows, Cloud might also be on his way," Zelda egged her on. "Maybe even Chrom? Oh, and I can't forget about Brawler-"
Wendy let out a screeching, furious yell as her car dashed forward. Zelda gasped, satisfied that she took the bait and waited for the right moment. She brought the young man even closer to her as the car approached. Taking a deep breath, she used Farore's Wind right as Wendy was about to collide with them, teleporting them forward to safety and out of Wendy's reach.
As both of them reappeared a few steps away from the grand entrance, they heard a loud crashing sound behind them. They both turned their heads towards the source and saw Wendy, sprawled on the ground, with her back, and most importantly, her shell, flipped over. Like a helpless turtle, she moved and thrashed in a vain attempt to get up. She was angrily cussing and berating the puppet fighters that were not able to get out of her way. The puppet fighters, still dizzy and beaten up, could only hear her yell and remain frozen in place.
Zelda would have laughed if she had the time. She felt the man tugging at her hand and pulling her towards the entrance.
The young man said, "Now's our chance! Let's get out of here!"
She nodded and helped him open the grand double doors. The outside breeze greeted them with a slap to the face, but it was not enough to make them flinch, nor did the sight of the sky covered in a stormy miasma deter them from moving forward. The young man held her hand for dear life and they ran across the castle's barren front yard as fast as their legs would carry them.
They approached the entrance gate without much of a problem. All they had to do was find the switch to lower the gate and they would be out of there. The young man was quick to spot it on the wall and didn't hesitate to flip it. It was almost too good to be true.
Which it was.
As the gate lowered slowly, almost as if they were stalling for time, the ground beneath them began to tremble. They held onto each other for support and turned their heads towards the entrance of the decayed castle. There they saw an enraged Ganondorf walking out, a growing dark energy surrounding his body.
There was no mistaking it, Ganondorf had a powerful spirit within him. Though Zelda had never seen anything quite like what she was witnessing happen with his body.
"Your futile attempt to escape ends here!" Ganondorf shouted.
His body was fully enveloped by that dark energy. Their eyes widened as they saw it grow and grow to a gargantuan size, taking the shape of a boar like beast. Two swords suddenly materialized, one in each hand, as big and sharp as the horns that grew from his head. The beast roared loudly and stomped the ground with such strength that it made it tremble again.
Ganon looked down on them with hatred and an intense lust for their deaths.
Zelda could feel her heart come to a stop, she could feel her throat tighten up. She had never faced the beast Ganon, at least not directly. She had the memories of the fear past Zelda had whenever Ganondorf unleashed that form as a Final Smash, but she herself never experienced the bone chilling feeling of confronting those murderous, glowing yellow eyes.
Yet, that did not feel like he was unleashing his Final Smash. That was something else. That was the work of a powerful spirit.
"What in the world did you do, Ganondorf…?" Zelda whispered.
She saw the young man get in front of her, his sword and his shield ready for battle. It was clear that he had the soul of a hero, but she did not need a hero at that moment. The gate was still descending, they needed to stall for time and, most importantly, a good running distance.
Ganon lunged towards them, his movement fast and powerful. Zelda and the hero jumped aside, both aware that neither would be able to block the attack without suffering harm. With that, Ganon now stood in front of the entrance, where the gate had yet to still lower completely. Conflict with him now truly was unavoidable, much to her chagrin.
She saw Hero slash at Ganon's thigh, which was not enough to cut deep, but it was enough to bring Ganon's attention towards him. She watched in awe how, despite Ganon's size and strength, Hero still managed to hold his own with well timed dodges and precise strikes of his blade. She was even more impressed when he started to interchange his physical attacks with magic spells, being able to conjure fire and lightning seemingly at will.
None of those attacks seemed to slow down Ganon, in fact, they barely seemed to harm him, but they made him increasingly more furious and, most importantly, drew his attention further away from Zelda. It was clear that he was willing to stay, so she could escape.
How very brave and courageous, but Zelda was not interested in having him become a martyr. The gate had lowered completely, yet the princess refused to leave that castle alone. As the duel between them went on, as Ganon turned his back to her, Zelda noticed a particular detail that might have gone unnoticed had she been the one facing him. Ganon, for some reason, had his massive tail glowing a faint green light.
Was it always like that? Zelda didn't know, but she was willing to see what that glow meant. Her right hand began to glow a purple light and she brought it close to her face, charging up her summoning spell. One powerful slash from her Phantom Armor should suffice.
"What… what are you doing?!" Hero shouted as he rolled just in time to avoid being hit by the hilt of Ganon's sword. "The gate's down! Save yourself!"
At that, Ganon turned around and she was met with his furious glare. Zelda cursed inwardly, but still released her Phantom Armor just in time for it to shield her from a swing of his blade. The hit was powerful enough to destroy the armor the specter was using, but at least Zelda was still in one piece.
"I'm not leaving without you!" Zelda yelled, before using Farore's Wind to avoid another attack. "You can't win this battle alone, Hero!"
"But-"
Another Farore's Wind, another dodge. Ganon was growing even more furious with her. A change in plans, but it could still work. As Zelda reapered, she said, "Take a good look at him! Find a weak spot!"
She did not want to directly point at his tail. She did not know if Ganon was aware that it might be a weak spot. She did not know if it was a weak spot to begin with, but she hoped that Hero could confirm that for her.
Zelda saw Ganon raise his sword. She used her Farore's Wind to dodge once again, yet this time the beast anticipated the spell. As soon as Zelda reappeared, Ganon rammed his head into her like an angry bull, sending her flying and making her land on her back. Her body screamed in pain, but thankfully she was not caught in one of his horns. Not that she was in any better shape.
As she struggled to get up, she looked up and saw Ganon raise his sword above his head.
She was so close to escaping.
Zelda tried to use Farore's Wind, but her pain and fear made it impossible for her to canalyze her magic.
She was going to die.
The princess covered her eyes with her arm and waited for the inevitable.
"UROAAAAHHH"
Ganon let out a pained, loud roar and the ground below her shook like something very heavy had just fallen. Zelda gasped in surprise and looked up. The beast, who once stood over her menacingly, now kneeled before her and was using one of his swords to support himself. He looked like he was in absolute agony, his exposed chest heaving up and down like breathing was a struggle.
Zelda did not have time to ask what was going on. She was quickly pulled back to her feet by Hero. The pain almost made her fall, but he placed her arm over his shoulder for support before she lost her balance and practically dragged her to the gate. "Come on, let's get out of here before he recovers," he said, his gaze shifting between freedom and the beast behind them.
"What happened…?" Zelda asked as she regained her breath.
"I took a good look at him, like you said," Hero said, a small smile appearing on his lips. "His tail was glowing, so I assumed it was a weak spot. Looks like I was right."
"Thank goodness…" she sighed. "I really thought I was going to die back there. Thank you."
As they crossed the bridge, Zelda let go of Hero's support, the pain becoming just bearable enough for her to run. The road ahead of them was barren, the air was thick and there was no guarantee that Zelda wouldn't have to fight against a puppet fighter or two on her way back to the village, but she couldn't feel more relieved to be outside of the castle.
"UROAAAAHHH"
Her blood froze as soon as she was done crossing the bridge. Hero instinctively got closer to her and drew his sword. They turned around and saw Ganon standing right at the other side of the bridge, his mouth fuming with rage, his hoof menacingly stomping the ground beneath. Just a few more steps in and he would catch up to them.
How did Ganon recover so fast from being hit in his Achilles Heel? There was no way that they could gain any meaningful distance from him like that. Zelda did not want to get into another battle for survival!
"Get back here, you vermin!" he roared, his voice loud and powerful enough to reach every corner of the land. "Get back here so I can crush every inch of your bones and slice you to ribbons!"
Hero's breath hitched and he remained in a defensive position, Zelda as well. Ganon's size was impressive, scary even. They had not gained that big of a distance from him, he could easily catch up to them in a few steps. They could either run and let him catch them or they could fight and let him overpower them. They were cornered, despite the freedom that the road ahead promised.
And Ganon knew that. Yet, somehow, he remained in place, just a little behind the massive castle walls.
There was nothing stopping him from simply crossing over that bridge. Why didn't he take a step forward?
Suspicion began to arise as the seconds of their standstill passed. Suspicion then gave way to realization. Zelda lowered her hand and relaxed her shoulders. With a hint of amusement in her voice, she said, "No, you get over here, if you want to kill us so badly. You coward."
"You little-"
"Come on, do it," Zelda taunted. She pointed at Hero, who was less than enthusiastic over her taunting him like that. "Him hitting your tail was a lucky shot. I'm sure we'll not be so lucky a second time."
"Hey, um… Zelda, right?" Hero asked, nervous. "Maybe you shouldn't…"
Ganon huffed, but did not take a step forward. She continued her taunting, "Get over here, Ganon. You know that we can't win, right? You are so much more powerful than us in this current form, we don't stand a chance! This battle is already over, all you have to do is end it here!"
"Zelda, this could be a trap!" Hero exclaimed. "Don't poke the beast like this, we need to run!"
"Why would Ganon need to set up a trap like this?" She smirked. "There's no need for it, all he has to do is cross this bridge. He can reach us in two seconds, if he really wants to."
Ganon huffed once again. He was fuming. Zelda asked, looking straight into his glowing yellow eyes, "Can't you?"
Ganon refused to give her an answer, instead preferring to stay firm in place. The battle was over.
"Is this the price you paid for all of this power, Ganondorf? Is this the price you paid for the control of the puppet fighters?" Zelda asked, "Being unable to leave the castle walls?"
She stepped forward, causing agitation to both beast and hero. Neither of them moved from their place.
Zelda continued to ask, "Is this why you told Bowser Junior to kidnap me, instead of reaching out for me yourself? Is this why you have the Koopalings running your errands outside of the castle for you?" And then she took another two steps forward, much to the despair of the hero who fought so bravely to get her out of there.
"Zelda, get back here!" He said. "Please!"
She ignored him and continued to walk forward, until she was close enough to Ganon that she had to look up just to keep eye contact with him. He blew a gust of wind on her face, warm and fetid. He looked so massive, so powerful, yet she knew that he posed no threat.
"Was it worth it?" Zelda asked.
"This is but a small price that I paid. I will ascend to godhood."
"No, you won't. Stop lying to yourself," Zelda said. "I have said it before and I will say it again, you have not learned a single thing from working with Tabuu. You fool. You absolute buffoon."
Ganon let out another ear piercing roared, spitting droplets of saliva into the petulant princess's face. She closed her eyes, but she did not budge from where she stood. Hero's had enough of the agony of watching her stand so close to him, so he quickly crossed that bridge and began to drag her away from him.
"I hope you enjoy every bit of luxury you have in this castle," she said as she let Hero pull her away. "Enjoy your puppet fighters and your dreams of conquest! Enjoy your alliance with the god that has chained you to this small piece of land! I will now return to my backwater village and tell everyone about your whereabouts, so we can clean after your mess again!"
As they crossed the bridge, the gate suddenly began to lift. Zelda continued to stare at the beast on the other side and said, "We have freed you from Dharkon once and we will free you again, Ganondorf! And when we do, you better frigging get your act together, you hear me?!"
The gates closed and the castle became closed off from the outside world. Zelda and Hero looked up and saw a dark cloud surrounding what little of the castle's towers could be seen over the walls. Despite what Zelda had just said, she knew that getting back inside would be no small feat, but at the very least she could return to her group with the knowledge of where Ganondorf and the Koopalings are. Not only that, but she had the feeling that that particular spirit inhabiting Ganondorf's body was more important than the average spirit that she had freed from puppet fighters.
And most importantly…
"Have you gone mad?!" Hero asked, making her turn around to face him. "He could have lifted the bridge and trapped you again, Zelda!"
"He could, but he was too furious to think rationally," Zelda said. "However, I apologize for worrying you."
Hero hesitated, still irritated over what was, admittedly, a very inconsequential act from her part. How ironic, when one would consider that she had been berating Ganondorf exactly for that. He said, "Okay, but be more careful from now on."
"Oh, I will, you can count on that," she smiled. "Thank you for saving me back there."
"I… uh, think nothing of it," Hero said with a scratch on the back of his head. "Actually, I think that we both saved each other. I don't think I would have been able to escape on my own."
"Aw, looks like I found myself a hero that is both capable and humble," Zelda teased, making his cheeks blush. "Well then, regardless of who saved who, I cannot properly thank you if I don't know your name. So, what should I call you?"
"Oh, right, I guess there was no time for introductions," he said. He extended his hand to her, "Name's Eleven. It's a pleasure to meet you, Zelda."
She shook his hand and smiled. "The pleasure is all mine," she said. "Say, do you have somewhere to stay for the night?"
"Uh, no, not at all," Eleven said, looking around him. "To be honest, I have no clue where I am. I have just woken up inside that castle and I haven't stopped fighting since then."
He was a newcomer, there was no doubt about it. Poor guy, talk about a rude awakening.
"Since you have nowhere to stay, how about you accompany me back to the village I'm staying in?" Zelda asked. "We do not have an abundance of resources, but I can guarantee you that you will be more than welcomed there."
Eleven hesitated for a moment, before answering, "I appreciate the invitation, but I don't know… there are things I have to do first."
"Like what?"
"There are some people that I need to find," Eleven said, a hint of sadness in his voice. He then looked at the sword that he held and his brows furrowed. "I…"
"I understand. I cannot force you to come with me, but-"
"Actually, I think I'll accept your invitation."
"Oh, you changed your mind rather quickly!" Zelda said, surprised.
"There are many questions popping up in my mind right now," Eleven admitted. "I think it would be for the better if I could at least think about them after a good night's rest."
"That would be a wise decision," Zelda said. "Well then, shall we?"
"Lead the way, Zelda."
Zelda nodded and walked ahead, both she and Eleven leaving behind the luxurious and decadent castle, as well as the beast locked within it, behind. She had much to tell her friends back at the village.
A/N: I'm sorry for taking this long to finish this chapter, but I did not expect it to turn out this long. This is the first time I have ever written Zelda as a protagonist, so I hope I did her justice here. it is funny how I prefer Brawl/4 Zelda overall, but it was Ultimate Zelda that made me want to write her in a protagonist role.
I think I'm going to take a break from writing Smash fics after this. I hope you enjoyed this fic!