Zelda was crouched at the edge of the Gerudo ruin, cloaked in an invisibility spell, waiting with bated breath. If everything was going according to plan, Link and the Gerudo should be commencing the attack at any moment. Then, she would greet the Demon King, who would hopefully be alone. She surveyed the ruins – unlike when she and Link had been here previously, there were no Gerudo patrolling, and she had not seen a single monster. He is conserving his energy, she guessed. And he does not want to be seen yet. Still, the silence unnerved her.
Slowly she crept to the large ruin where Pyra had been held. As she approached, she began to hear voices from inside: the rasping tones of the Twinrova, and when she had gotten even closer, Ganondorf. The sound made her heart ache.
She was not close enough to hear what they said, but the words she could make out – 'hero', 'camp', 'revolt' – were enough to tell her that Link's plan had started. Ganondorf said something in response, too quiet to make out, which prompted an outburst of arguing from the Twinrova. Zelda continued to edge closer.
"Then deal with it!" Ganondorf roared. "If you cannot handle one measly Hylian –"
"Yes, my king," Kotake said.
Koume said, "Great Ganondorf, is it really wise – "
"Do not question me! Get out!"
There was an eruption of shuffling noises and a moment later, both of the Twinrova emerged on their brooms, and quickly flew off in the direction of their cliffside camp. Zelda smiled, though instead of the triumph she had expected to feel at the success of their plan, all she had was dread. Once the Twinrova were out of sight, she continued to creep closer; she was nearly at the building's entrance now.
"Zelda…" Ganondorf purred.
She froze, heart pounding.
"I know that you are there, Zelda," he said. "So dispense with this camouflage and come in."
She inhaled deeply. This was it, then. The final battle, the final confrontation. Not a physical confrontation, hopefully, but a battle all the same. Keep him talking long enough that I can get close… that I can finish it. She removed the invisibility spell from herself and entered the throne room, holding her head high.
Ganondorf was sitting on the throne, sprawled across it much the same way as when the Twinrova had first forced him onto it. He had changed, abandoning the heavy black armor and donning clothing more like what he had worn in his time: loose fitting pants, and no shirt save for the cloak which covered only one arm, revealing much of his chest and abdomen, though Zelda saw that he had wrapped bandages around his stomach where his Master Sword wound was. She looked to his face, and had to stop herself from crying out. With his new clothing, and new hairstyle – he had tied it up, back from his face – she could almost forget, but his face… it was clearly her Ganondorf. But when she looked at his eyes, at his expression…
"Demon King," she said.
He inclined his head in greeting. "You can call me Ganondorf if you prefer, Zelda." His lips curled into a cruel smile. "It was my name first, after all."
She swallowed, feeling rage pool within her. She also felt the pulsing in her right hand, stronger than it had ever been before.
"Why did you send the Twinrova away, if you knew I was here?" she said.
He chuckled. "You think I need their help to deal with a single girl? I can handle you with ease." He gestured to his side, where a sword lay propped up next to the throne. It was new, and its blade had a slight curve to it; she had never seen a sword of this style before. "Besides," he added softly, dark eyes glittering with amusement. "I wanted to see the woman that had this body so captivated." He tilted his head. "I must admit I am a bit disappointed."
"You have his memories?" Zelda whispered.
Ganondorf did not respond, still smirking. "Tell me, Zelda, did you care for him?"
"I will not talk about him with you," she said coldly, taking a step towards him.
He laughed. "He thought you might," he said. "He was waiting for you to come to your senses, to decide that it is a perversion for the Princess of Hyrule to care for a demon."
Zelda's heart twisted. "Stop," she said.
He ignored her. "He was wrong, of course. The real perversion was him. A Gerudo man wanting the blood of Rauru? Sickening."
"Do not speak of him," Zelda said, still approaching him. She thought her hand might be burning. "You have no right to speak of him, after you have stolen his body."
"It is my body now," Ganondorf said. "It has always been my body. I have been sealed for so long, withering away to dust and bones." He flexed his fingers, stretched his neck. "It feels good, to be young again." He stood, stretching his arms now. "It will feel good, to kill you."
Her hands began to shake, though whether it was from fear or anger she could not tell. She forced them to steady. "Is that what you want? To kill me, and take Hyrule for yourself?"
"Is that what you think? That I want Hyrule? No, Zelda," he said, shaking his head. "I do not want Hyrule. I want to eradicate it." He stared at her, and when he continued, his words were deathly serious. "This Kingdom was created by an invader who did not belong to this land, and I will erase every trace of him, and anyone who ever supported him. Even my own people," he spat, disgusted. "Better this world be ruled by monsters than weaklings and traitors."
What has happened to this man, to make him like this? Had he always been this way, or had he become corrupted by the power of the Zonai Stone? Perhaps millennia of sealing had destroyed whatever was left of his mind. Or perhaps, she thought, remembering how her Ganondorf had raged at her the first day of his imprisonment, swearing to her that he would get revenge for what her ancestors had done to him, this man has experienced a great deal of pain. Still, listening to his violent threats, she could not bring herself to feel pity.
"I will stop you," she said. "I will not allow you to harm my people."
"You can try to stop me. Rauru certainly did. And yet I endure, while he is dead and forgotten." He blinked, studying her. "You know," he said softly. "I knew a Zelda once." He stepped towards her. "She was much lovelier than you. I suppose she is also dead and forgotten."
She did not step away. The woman in the visions. "Is that so?"
"She claimed there would be a hero to stop me, when I woke again. But I see no hero here. Only a weak little princess, always needing others to fight her battles."
How dare you use his words against me, she thought. She forced herself to keep her face still, to not react. And really, she found it easy to remain calm, when she remembered what Ganondorf had said after: Zelda. You are not weak.
The Demon King stepped forward again; he was very close now. "Some part of you is brave, at least, to come here." He cocked his head, leaning in towards her. "Perhaps I will not kill you right away. Perhaps I will keep you, Zelda, so you can see what I will do to your country." He brought his hand to her waist, making her flinch, and laughed. "Oh, he did not like that."
Zelda blinked. He?
"Well, I will make him gone soon enough," Ganondorf said, and kissed her.
She thrashed, pushing against his chest, attempting to free herself, but his grip on her was tight, and he brought his other hand to the back of her head, holding her to him. "Stop," she tried to say, but he ignored her. His eyes were filled with amusement and malice; she closed her own, so she did not have to see them. She became aware again of the pulsing in her right hand, and stopped struggling. This is my chance.
As she had that thought, the kiss changed, became softer. His grip on her waist, on her head, became gentler, and he pulled back long enough to whisper her name, before returning his lips to hers. She could almost imagine she was kissing her Ganondorf. A trick, she thought, then, if it is a trick, let me pretend. She brought her arm to loop around his neck, and opened her mouth to him with a sigh. She felt her feet leave the ground as he lifted her, and felt a heat begin to bloom in her chest. Ganondorf, dear Ganondorf. I am so sorry that I let this happen to you. She thought that perhaps she was beginning to cry. I could not save you, but I will avenge you. There is just one thing that I need from you, my darling… He seemed to hold her tighter, and warmth flared in her again as he murmured, "Zelda."
Then he bit her.
She was dropped roughly to the ground, and brought her hand to her lower lip, which throbbed in pain. It came away bloody. Ganondorf was reeling, and when he lifted his head to stare at her, his eyes were wide with fury. "I've changed my mind," he snarled. "I will be killing you now. You make this parasite of mine too restless."
She stared, registering his words. Parasite. Hope sparked in her. Does that mean…?
She noticed then that even as her lip throbbed, the warmth that had begun in her during their kiss had not dissipated. As she became aware of it, it burned even brighter, in fact, and she had to school her features to stop from crying out in triumph.
For the entirety of the Triforce was now within her.
"The Triforce," she said. "It is the only way to destroy him."
"The Triforce?" Link asked.
"If one obtains the Triforce, they obtain the full power of the goddesses. They obtain the ability to make a wish."
"So you…?"
"I could wish him dead. No, not dead – his entire existence, eradicated. The only thing that can destroy a demon of that strength." She paused, then said, "I would require the Triforce of Courage from you, Link."
Link blinked at her. "That's fine," he said. "I don't have the magic to use it properly, anyway."
She shook her head. "No, you don't understand. If you do this, if you give it up…" She took a deep breath. "Even if you can find another passage to the Twilight Realm, you could never go there. You would become a spirit." She reached for his left hand, squeezing it tightly. "Link, if you do this, you will never see Midna again."
There was silence for a long moment. "If the alternate is the destruction of Hyrule, then what choice do I have?"
"Link…"
"I think that I knew that it was futile anyway. Even if another passage exists, what are the odds that I find it?" He laughed bitterly. "I have lost my home, my friends there – been changed so much that I will never be satisfied there. I have lost Midna. I cannot lose Hyrule too." He went silent.
"You are a true hero, Link," Zelda murmured.
He looked down at their joined hands. "How do I give it to you?"
"Imagine the power leaving you, and entering me."
"I'll try," Link said. "And the third piece, his piece… how will you obtain it from him?"
"The Triforce wants to be complete again," she said. "I have heard it whispering to me. If I can get close to him, I think I will be able to… draw it out of him." She swallowed. "I do not think that the Demon King understands what the Triforce is, or he would never have allowed us to escape, before. He will not be expecting it."
Link nodded, and closed his eyes. Moments later she began to feel a pulsing in her right hand, and when she looked at the back of her palm, two of the three triangles there were alight.
The power of the goddesses, the power that wars had been waged over, that Ganondorf himself had killed for… it was hers. The Triforce, restored after hundreds of years of separation. No sooner than she had this thought the room began to fill with a brilliant light. She looked for its source, then realized it was coming from her. Ganondorf, who had been moving to retrieve his sword, stopped to stare at her, and then the light was so blinding that she could not see him.
When the brightness subsided, the Triforce was floating in the air in front of her. Its golden triangles looked like light solidified, and she could feel the magic emanating from it. For a moment she could do nothing but gaze at it in awe, enthralled by it, captivated by it.
This was the same power that had so captivated the dark interlopers who became the Twili; that had them so desperate for it that they committed such vile crimes they were exiled, not only from Hyrule but from the Light Realm entirely. The power to reshape reality, power to grant any wish you desire… She could understand why they needed it so badly, she thought, reaching towards it. All you need to do is touch it…
Her fingers were inches from it, when something slammed into her and she crashed to floor, hitting her head on the hard stone, breaking her trance. Her vision swam in front of her. Ganondorf – how could she have forgotten about him? – stood above her, traces of purple magic trailing from his fingers where he had shoved her. She attempted to rise, but her head throbbed and her muscles had become weak; some side effect of the magic he had hit her with.
"So," Ganondorf said, peering down at her. "This was your plan. Very well done, Zelda." He smiled coldly. "Not enough to best me, but it was a good effort." He turned to look at the Triforce.
"No," she moaned. If he heard her, he gave no indication.
"And this is the power that he coveted so strongly, is it?" he breathed, a hungry glint in his eyes. "I cannot imagine this compares to the power of my Zonai Stone, but let's find out, shall we?"
"Don't," Zelda whispered, reaching towards him.
The Demon King touched the Triforce.
"Gods of the Triforce! Hear my wish! Return me to my previous strength, and eliminate the parasite that lingers in this body! Give me the power to annihilate this Kingdom, once and for all!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Zelda could not breathe. It's over, she thought. He's won. Hyrule is doomed. He is unstoppable now. And he would start with her.
Then, Ganondorf began to laugh. What…?
"Oh, this is too good," he said, still laughing. "This is the power of Hyrule's gods? This is what he invaded Hyrule for?"
"What are… you talking about?" Zelda rasped. Her vision was still cloudy, though she could still see the Triforce floating in front of him.
"Your little triangles are worthless, Zelda," he said. "They do nothing."
That's not possible, she thought. The Triforce had not granted his wish? How…? Had the legends all been a lie? But… I saw it in the Great Fairy's vision.
Ganondorf gave one last chuckle, then the humour faded from his voice as he looked at her again. "This has been an amusing diversion, but I tire of this," he said. "It is past time for your death now." He began to walk towards his sword again.
Why did the Triforce not work? Think, Zelda!
Ganondorf picked up the sword, holding it out in front of him. "I could use my magic to kill you," he said softly. "But this is a much more fitting end."
What did she know about the Triforce? The legends are all so vague.
Ganondorf was walking towards her when there was a shrieking from outside. He stopped and turned to the ruin's entrance, where Kotake was flying in on her broom. "Koume!" She wailed. "That hero killed Koume! He is coming here!"
Zelda ignored her. The Great Fairy mentioned a Triforce wish… What had she said?
"What?"
"He killed her! My – my sister is gone!"
To wish upon the Triforce requires a balanced heart…
"How can the both of you be so weak you cannot handle a single Hylian?" Ganondorf snarled. "If she was killed, then it is what she deserved!"
…and an unbreakable spirit. Zelda's eyes widened.
"Great Ganondorf," Kotake blubbered. "How can you – "
Zelda slowly pushed herself from the ground, her arms trembling. Her head throbbed, and she felt so weak. But she pushed, through her pain, and through the magic the Demon King had thrown at her, and stood, legs shaking. She took a step forward, then another.
"Silence!" Ganondorf yelled. "You will be lucky if I do not kill you, witch!"
Zelda reached out her hand. "Gods of the Triforce," she said, finally touching it. She felt a lucidity return to her, a power flowing into her, her weakness and pain erased. "Hear my wish!"
Ganondorf's head whipped around to look at her.
"Eradicate the spirit that is the Demon King Ganondorf!" she cried, light pouring from her. "Eliminate him so that he can never be resurrected again!" And please, goddesses, if you can… return to me the man I love.
With a shaky breath, she released the Triforce, which blinked out of existence.
"I have already told you, Zelda," Ganondorf said coldly. "Your Triforce is…" He trailed off as for second time, a blinding light began to fill the room. It consolidated in front of Zelda, forming itself into a very familiar shape. She grabbed the bow that appeared before her.
"You think that will do anything to me?" he said, as she prepared a light arrow. He stepped towards her, sword in hand. "I have survived worse." But his face had taken on a shade of doubt.
When he ran to her with his sword extended, she warped behind him, and as he spun to face her, she took aim. She knew she would not miss.
Zelda shot him in the heart.
End of Part 3