Ocarina of Time Chapter 56

 Chapter 56

Time's End

Hours earlier...

Zelda screamed.

Pain blazed inside her like acid through her veins, consuming her. She fell to her knees, trying in vain to grasp the flow of magic. Despite her desire to show no weakness before Ganondorf, her resolve shook under the onslaught of agony. The most terrifying thing of all was knowing that this was just the beginning. By weakening her, Ganondorf could hope to break into her mind and thoughts. He'd discover everything, and it was not just for herself that she feared.

Ganondorf towered over her, eyes bearing into her soul as he tried to crush the light burning within her.

She wouldn't let him win, not after all these years.

"Come now, Zelda," said Ganondorf. His tone was calm, like a tranquil sea just before a storm. "It doesn't need to be this way. Give me what I want and I will end this."

"No," Zelda gasped through labored breaths. "I will not. I know what it is you want, and I will deny you so long as I live."

"Bold words," Ganondorf said, stepping closer to her. "But do you really know what it is that I want?" His voice was dangerous and rather quiet. He drew closer to her and taunted, "Do you?"

Ganondorf's gauntlet-covered hand cupped beneath her chin as he inspected her. Zelda almost flinched, managing not to by sheer strength of will. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cower. Her jaw ached beneath his iron grip, and it was a relief when he let go.

"My only plan has been to save this world, even if it means breaking it apart so that it may be reforged."

"Save it?" Zelda asked, incredulous. "Is that what you call this?"

Ganondorf looked into her eyes, and Zelda longed to look away. She could feel the hatred radiating from that glare.

"A blade that is broken must be melted down before it can be reforged."

"Reforged in your own image?" Zelda asked. It was more a statement than a question. "Why don't you tell that to the thousands who have died in this war!"

"Your Goddesses would have killed them!" Ganondorf replied, his voice thick with contempt. "Yet, you worship them regardless! Such blind faith. It's detestable."

Zelda said nothing.

"I grow tired of this, princess," Ganondorf said coldly. "Give me what is mine, or else I can try a different method. I fear that it may not be so pleasant."

Zelda's insides felt like ice. Whatever he had planned, she didn't want to know. Silently, she prayed that rescue would come soon, if it wasn't already on its way. Despite blindness, Impa would have stormed the tower itself if it were within her power. Zelda desperately wanted to hear her calm voice and listen again to the soothing lullaby that had once kept away the night's terrors.

Zelda swallowed, knowing Impa couldn't help her now. She was alone, trapped inside her worst nightmare. She had spent years dreading this day, hoping it might never come. Fleeing, hiding, concealing herself behind a mask. For years, she had avoided this day. However, there was always a constant, lingering fear that it would come. Now it had.

I have to get out of here somehow, Zelda thought. Doing her best to not let her gaze linger away from Ganondorf, she tried taking in her surroundings. There was the fire crackling in a hearth behind Ganondorf, its warmth barely extending into the room. To her right stood a door that led onto the balcony, currently closed. Trying to jump off the ledge wasn't an option; she'd end up plummeting to her death.

"So," Ganondorf continued, his voice again mockingly pleasant. "I will ask again. Give me the Triforce of Wisdom. It is mine by right, and I shall have it."

"You are not its master," Zelda said coolly.

"And nor are you," Ganondorf replied. "You are nothing but a child playing with a toy you do not understand. I need what you have. What good is power without wisdom, after all?"

"If you lack wisdom, then the Gerudo made a poor choice in proclaiming you king." Zelda almost winced at the audacity of her words. For a moment, she didn't feel nearly so powerless.

Ganondorf's jaw tightened, and the fire within his eyes seemed to burn brighter. "Watch your tongue, princess. It would be a pity if I had to remove it."

Zelda remained silent.

Ganondorf stepped back, inspecting her one final time. "Nothing to say?" he asked. After a pause, he continued in a dangerous growl, "Very well, then. I'm sure this will loosen your tongue."

Ganondorf opened the palm of his gauntlet, revealing a glowing gemstone beneath. The eldritch glow brightened, turning a fierce red. For a horrible instant, Zelda thought he was going to kill her.

He placed a hand on her forehead and white light flashed across Zelda's vision. She gasped as a sickening pain exploded inside her head. Zelda held back a scream, feeling as though dozens of knives were being slowly driven into her skull. She could feel him probing her mind and immediately she threw up whatever mental defense she could. He seemed to realize she was hiding something and dug deeper. Still, she resisted, guarding that one precious secret with everything she could. Ganondorf threw his power against the wall Zelda formed, and she could feel him pounding against that mental shield. When he realized he couldn't break it, Zelda felt the man's anger surge.

"What are you hiding from me?" Zelda heard Ganondorf muse. "Some final plan of yours, perhaps? Your defiance leaves me little choice."

True to his word, Ganondorf changed tactics, and despite her resolve not to buckle under Ganondorf's attacks, no matter what happened, Zelda found herself unprepared for what happened next. Images flashed across Zelda's vision. The first was a scene of bloodshed, a massacre inside a hall she instantly recognized. The Great Hall of Hyrule Castle was littered with the broken bodies of Hylian guards and nobles. Soot covered the now blackened tapestries, and blood stained the once pristine marble floors. Her father lay slumped beside his chair, lying in a pool of his own blood.

No...

She was forced to watch an Iron Knuckle step across the nightmarish scene. It lingered over the king's body, inspecting it, and then rose its axe high above its head.

No... please... Zelda realized what was about to happen; these were Ganondorf's memories.

The axe came down across her poor father's neck, severing it. Then, the scene rippled and changed. They were in the hall again, except this time, it was a scene of chaos. The bodies of nobles, some Zelda recognized, guards, entertainers, and residents of the palace littered the ground. A few lone souls still remained, either fighting or trying to flee. She watched the scene from Ganondorf's perspective, and it seemed as though it was her own blade that struck down people she both knew and loved. Ewan was amongst them, crying and clutching at the body of Captain Dragayne, terror in his eyes. Zelda watched helplessly as Ganondorf cut the prince down, his blade slicing open the boy's throat.

"NO!" Zelda cried out, the image of Ewan's death burned into her mind. Tears of pain and grief rolled down her cheeks. "Stop it, please!"

The scene abruptly changed again. This time, she stood atop Castletown's walls, with Ganondorf standing beside her. He was staring at a row of heads mounted on spears. With a jolt of horror, she recognized some of them: Ewan, her father, her two attendants, and even Eugene.

The gorge rose in her throat. "Stop it!" she screamed, pleading.

Zelda had prepared for the worst. She had known she would be tortured if Ganondorf found her. However, this went well beyond what she'd imagined, surpassing what her nightmares had conjured.

"I can end this," Ganondorf reasoned, his deceptively calm voice seeming to come from everywhere at once.

Zelda stood inside the main plaza of the Southern Market, watching as the city burned. People were running, some clutching or tugging at wailing children. Many people screamed as hordes of monsters burst out from the alleys, overwhelming the soldiers who tried to stop them, and pouring into the panic-stricken crowd. The crowd fled in another direction. Some people tripped, only to vanish beneath the stampede, and others stood stupefied, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"All you have to do is give me the Triforce of Wisdom and tell me what it is you hide," came Ganondorf's cold voice, still maintaining that deceptive sense of reason.

"No," Zelda said weakly. "I won't."

Zelda tried channeling her thoughts, hoping she might somehow take control of the connection between their minds. Against a minor Sheikah mage, this might have worked. Against Ganondorf, unfortunately, it was a different matter. Trying to grasp hold of a memory was like attempting to seize a piece of driftwood while shipwrecked in a raging sea.

The scene altered a third time: she was fleeing Castletown upon a white horse, watching as her guards were cut down around her. She tried thinking of something else, anything to resist what Ganondorf was doing, but the pain was too great.

The scene shifted, and she now was inside the Shadow Temple. Clawed limbs groped at her, trying to pull Zelda into a murky pool of water. As she stared at the rotting cadavers that had once been soldiers of the queen's banners, some of them stared at her with open eyes, and their mouths parted, whispering a single word, "Zelda!"

The scene shifted to show a memory of a possessed Halvard slicing a knife across Link's eye. His scream tore at Zelda's soul, and then the scene ended.

Her father knelt beside a bed, clutching the hand of his beloved, Zelda's mother. Her eyes were closed, and her once beautiful face was now ragged and thin due to the sickness that had claimed her. She'd always taken great care to keep her blonde hair tidy, but in the end, it had become unkempt and matted. Grim-faced attendants surrounded the king, their heads bowed as they shared his grief.

No! Zelda screamed in her mind. Why are you showing me this? Get out of my head!

The scene went white, replaced with a similar memory. They were in the same room, with itssplendid four-poster bed, ornate tapestries, and a lavish carpet bearing the Hylian Crest. The covers of the enermous bed had been tossed to one side of the room, and the once white sheets, some stained with blood, were being carried away by stricken servants. Zelda couldn't see the bed's occupants through a ring of frantic attendants and exhausted midwives, but she knew what she was seeing.

Her father sat in one of the room's plush armchairs, staring despondently at the bed. One of the midwives was speaking to him, her expression pained. Whatever she said, Nohansen didn't seem to hear. He looked every bit like a man who lost all will to live, an empty shell, a shadow of the king who once brought decades of strife to an end. It hurt to see him like this.

"Please..." somewhere through the pain blazing inside her head, Zelda found the will to speak, though her voice was a whimper. She hated how feeble she sounded. "Please... stop."

"Give me what is mine!" Ganondorf bellowed.

"No!" Zelda shouted back. He could feel him probing her mind again, and still she managed to keep that small part of her mind guarded. Yet, it was an effort she could not sustain, and desperate to keep Ganondorf from that knowledge, she did one of the few things she could think of.

The memories changed again.

She was in the Gerudo Fortress, standing within the king's chamber on that dreadful night when the Gerudo had been pulled into the Sheikah's civil war.

Oh no.

This wasn't the memory she'd meant to grasp. It was a memory of the vision she witnessed in the Spirit Temple. Impa, garbed in a Sheikah assassin's attire, was standing in front of a much younger Ganondorf with a knife in her hands. The Gerudo King, Ganondorf's father, lay dead at her feet.

"What-" Ganondorf whispered in her mind, his voice suddenly shocked. "How did you-"

The connection broke, and Zelda felt her body slap the cold stone floor. She gasped, barely able to see through the haze of pain. It took her a moment to realize Ganondorf had stopped torturing her.

The fire in his eyes was gone, replaced with a look of utter shock. He'd grasped the chair behind him, his hand shaking.

"Guards," he barked, voice trembling. "Get her out of my sight!"

Zelda heard one of the two Moblins step up behind her.

"Sir?" one of the beasts asked with a deep, rough voice. It sounded uncertain and confused.

Little wonder, Zelda thought. Ganondorf suddenly seemed far more vulnerable than he had moments ago, the shock not quite faded from his eyes.

"I SAID OUT!" Ganondorf roared, thrusting a finger towards the door. His voice shook with barely contained rage. "GET HER OUT!"

The guards gripped Zelda beneath her arms. She winced at their pincer-like hold, trying to look up, but the world was still spinning. The pain hadn't receded completely, and she was almost sick.

The guards hastened their step, eager to flee their master's presence. The last thing Zelda saw before the doors slammed shut was Ganondorf slumped in his seat, a hand clasped to his head. The pain in her head throbbed anew, and before she knew it, Zelda was retching. She vomited at her guards' feet.

Then she felt darkness reaching to claim her, and she fell into its blissful embrace.

~ 0 ~

Zelda woke to blackness, feeling as though she were stuck within the depths of a cave. She could feel the cold, coarse stone behind her. She struggled to move, the manacles cutting into her wrists. Her heart pounded frantically in her chest, and sheer panic welled up inside her.

For a horrible moment, Zelda thought she was blind, just as Impa had been blinded in the Shadow Temple. The confident, cold demeanour Zelda maintained under the guise of Impa's ward fled in an instant.

Breathe, she thought frantically. Just breathe. You're not blind. It's just dark.

She blinked, reassuring herself that she could still feel her eyes. There were manacles binding her hands and shackles clasped to her feet, chains clinking as she tried to move.

She was in a cell.

You're not blind.

Close to hyperventilating, she spent a long moment steadying her breathing and focused on assessing her injuries. Her body ached, her face still throbbing dully from the blow she'd received when she was captured, and a throbbing headache pounded through her skull.

Zelda tried recollecting what had happened since her capture. Ganondorf's guards had made sure she was bound, probably terrified that she might use the Triforce of Wisdom to work her way out or transform into the Sheikah whose image she'd assumed. The latter was impossible; the mask was inside her tent and of no use to her now.

How long had she been here? What had happened since her capture? Zelda's mind was fuzzy, and the memories returning to her were a confused blur. She'd been warped to Ganondorf's tower, and then...

Zelda recalled the burning malevolence in Ganondorf's eyes. Had they always been that intense? Or was this a result of being possessed by Ganon?

Ganondorf had been angered by her refusal to give in to his demands. She remembered a sickening pain in her skull as he attacked her using telepathy, making her relive the most painful memories of her life.

Just breathe.

She had to think...

Ganondorf had stopped torturing her abruptly after that. It took her a moment to remember why.

A young boy, clad in Gerudo garbs, stood before the body of his father. He glanced upward with terrified eyes at his would-be assassin.

The expression on Ganondorf's face, torn between horror and rage, had terrified her.

Oh Goddesses, Zelda thought. What else had Ganondorf learned, or seen, while probing her mind? If he knew about Eliana...

No. He couldn't know about that. She'd know if he did, of that she was certain.

Ganondorf would send for her again, and she dreaded what he might do this time. How long had she been unconscious?

A part of her wanted to call out, just for some reassurance that she wasn't alone in this darkness. Zelda tried drawing magic, but her strength was utterly spent. She could sense the streams of magic that threaded their way across the realm. Attempting to reach for one of those streams, Zelda forced her mind to focus on the currents' ebb and flow. Zelda reached out, touching the plane of magic. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she could see the little streams weaving around her like tiny ribbons of light. She tried pulling those tiny threads towards her, but they slipped away like water between open fingers.

No.

Zelda attempted again, to no avail. Either the guards had given her something while she was out cold, or she was simply too exhausted. She could think of some potions and herbs which could stave off the fatigue and clear her mind, but that knowledge was of little use to her now. She closed her eyes, frustration simmering in the pit of her stomach.

Just breathe.

A light shimmered through the darkness. She could sense it, even with her eyes closed. For a moment, Zelda was convinced she had managed to draw magic. Somehow.

"Zelda? Can you hear me?"

Zelda felt a shock run through her. She knew that voice. It was the voice of a man who, in happier days, held her upon his knee. Long ago, his roaring laughter had been one of the sweetest sounds she knew.

Her father.

No. It can't be. Eyes still closed, Zelda tried ignoring that voice. It couldn't be real. If this was another attempt to break her, it wouldn't work.

"This won't work, Ganondorf," she said hoarsely.

"Zelda, I know you are afraid. I know you don't believe it's me, but you would know if this were a trick. The essence of Nayru grants you that ability." Her father's voice, once so fierce and commanding, was unusually gentle and even kind.

Zelda didn't want to believe it was him. Why would he appear now, of all times? If it was his spirit, why had he not helped her in these last seven years?

"My dear Zelda," her father said, an almost pleading edge in his voice. "I know you are angry with me, and you have every right to be. The world I have left you, a shattered and broken kingdom, was not the inheritance I meant for you to have. Please, child, are you too ashamed of what I've done to look upon my face?"

Drawing a deep breath, Zelda opened her eyes and raised her head slowly. Just in front of her, dressed in the same regal red and white robes that he'd worn on the day of his death, stood King Nohansen. Zelda was looking at her father's shade; his figure was slightly transparent and ethereal, a spirit trapped in the realm of the living, bound by the regrets of a life long lost.

Her eyes met his own. King Nohansen didn't seem the imposing figure that Zelda had known in the years after her mother's death; there was a sense of sadness and regret in his eyes that she hadn't known before.

"Now you come?" she asked, wincing at her bitter tone. "After everything that has happened...you come now?"

Nohansen's face was pained. "I wanted to speak to you, but I held back, knowing my intrusion would not be welcome. There was always a rift between us. I am to blame for that. I am to blame for keeping you at a distance. I realised too late what I'd done, and if I could change that I swear to you I would."

"And you choose to amend for that now?" Zelda asked. Goddesses, her voice was frightfully cold.

Zelda could feel anger stirring deep within her, and only the shock at hearing her father speak with such humility tempered it. He'd never been known as a humble king, not amongst his court or his family.

"Why have you come?" she demanded, taking no satisfaction when he recoiled at her tone. "To seek my forgiveness? I can understand if you did not accept a child's word, but to ignore the ones who secured your throne? You destroyed this kingdom and left our House in ruins!"

She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Her father was tricked, just like the Gerudo and the rest of his council. Ganondorf had pulled the wool over their eyes. It was his fault, not her father's.

"You are right," Nohansen said. "I did destroy this kingdom."

That admission hit her like a splash of icy water. She hadn't expected that, and for a moment, Zelda just stared. Speechless. Her accusations had been harsh, unfair, and not entirely true, but he had agreed with them anyway.

"You didn't answer my question," she said. The anger buried deep within her was still stirring, desperate to reach the surface. "Why have you come?"

Nohansen looked troubled. "I came to help you. I know what he did to you, and I'm sorry I couldn't stop him. I fear he will come for you soon."

"That is observant of you," Zelda said. She tasted the sarcasm in those words, and it sickened her.

Goddesses, she thought. When had she become so cold?

Her father's ghost was quiet for a moment. "Zelda," he said softly. "Please, let me help you."

Zelda did not meet his eyes.

"The others are coming for you," he said. "I do not know how long it will be before they arrive. Whatever happens, no matter how hard things get, remember who you are. You are my daughter, and I am proud of you. I promise, whatever happens, I will be by your side."

Zelda bit her lip, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She didn't look up, shame building inside of her. He was only trying to help her, and yet she had returned his kindness with cruel words.

"You are the only good thing I have given this kingdom, Zelda," Nohansen said, his voice quiet and almost pained. "Please. I know I was not much of a father, and I was a terrible king, but can you forgive an old man his sins?"

"You weren't a terrible king," Zelda whispered. She felt as though something was slowly crushing her windpipe. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Struggling against her bonds, she raised her head. Zelda met her father's sorrowful gaze, struggling to hold back her own tears. "I'm sorry, papa. I'm sorry I was so unkind."

For an instant, Nohansen seemed taken aback, but then his face softened. "It is I who must ask for forgiveness, Zelda. Not you."

Before either of them could say more, she heard something in the distance.

Footsteps.

Nohansen jerked his head towards the corridor, which was faintly illuminated by his ghostly appearance. She could see torchlight flickering dimly upon the wall.

Guards.

"They're coming," Nohansen said hurriedly. "I can't let them see me."

"Wait, there's something I have to tell you," Zelda tried to keep herself from shouting. She reached towards her father, only for the manacles to pull her back. "Don't go."

"There is no time. Just remember, no matter what happens, or how dark it gets, I will always be by your side." And with that, King Daphnes Nohansen vanished, plunging the cell into near darkness.

No! Zelda stopped herself from crying aloud, but only just. Father, come back!

She hadn't told him, and she was sure he didn't know. The flickering torchlight grew closer, and Zelda breathed deeply, trying to steel herself.

The light grew brighter, dancing off the stone walls and the sturdy iron bars of adjacent cells. She could hear voices now, the guards grumbling in soft tones.

"Don't see why the boss won't let us just eat her," one growled. From the sounds of that deep voice, it was a Moblin.

The Triforce of Wisdom granted Zelda the ability to understand other languages. She felt an odd sense of relief when she realized she could understand the Moblin's tongue. That meant she was still able to use Wisdom to some degree.

The voices grew louder.

"Boss says she's too important. He has other plans for her," another Moblin said.

"Pity, I haven't had a decent meal in days," the other guard whined.

"Quiet!" another voice barked. "I grow tired of your bellyaching."

At least three then. She could fight that many, couldn't she?

Zelda nearly laughed. She was chained to a wall, couldn't channel magic properly, and yet was considering fighting her way out?

And just which piece of the Triforce is it that you bear? she thought, feeling a stab of frustration.

The guards rounded a corner, and Zelda heard their footsteps shuffling in the corridor as they approached her cell. There were at least six, from what she could hear, clearly too many to fight. They'd anticipated she might try pulling something off, and they'd come prepared.

Clever, she thought. If Ganondorf hadn't ordered them to be cautious, then they were much smarter than many Hylians believed.

Then the moblins came into view, grunting to one and other, and stopping just in front of Zelda's cell.

One Moblin thrust a torch up to the bars, squinting at Zelda with its dark eyes. "She's a pretty one," the Moblin growled. Zelda shivered and bit her lip to stop herself from trembling. She couldn't let them see her fear.

One of the taller guards, wearing a helm and plate, grunted and barked an order. Another guard strode forward, fumbling a key into the lock as his hand shook slightly.

They're frightened of me, Zelda realized.

The door swung open, and the guard reached into his jerkin's pocket, fishing out another key to unlock Zelda's restrains. This Moblin had a distinct, unwashed smell that nearly made her retch.

As the last of her restraints clicked open, Zelda fell to the floor. She tried to keep on her feet, but her aching and strained limbs instantly gave in to the exhaustion, making her collapse ungracefully to the floor. Her frustration boiled; she wouldn't give these creatures the pleasure of seeing her so helpless. With what little strength she could muster, Zelda tried to stand. One of the guards grabbed her, hauling her to her feet. Resisting the urge to cry out, Zelda pulled against the guard's iron-grip.

The moblin only tightened its hold on her arm. He chuckled and retorted, "Feisty, aren't you?"

"Let's go," the moblin captain growled as Zelda was shoved in front of him. The Moblin gestured down the corridor's path. "Right this way, your majesty."

The Moblin's last words dripped with mockery, and the guards chuckled. Zelda fixed the captain with a cold glare. Two of the guards appeared ready to back away, and the captain immediately stopped laughing.

"Don't try anything funny," he growled, meeting her gaze with an equally hard glare. "I'd hate to ruin the boss's prize. And after what you did last time, I daresay he won't be too impressed if you anger him again."

One of the guards prodded her with the butt of its spear. She moved forward, not daring to slow.

"Doesn't say much, does she?" one of the smaller Moblins said. "I thought princesses were supposed to speak more, you know... scream a bit and stuff-"

"I don't know about this one," said the guard who'd unlocked her cell. "She looks about ready to kill the lot of us."

Zelda was almost tempted to look the guard in the eyes, just to reinforce the idea. Knowing that wouldn't help her, she didn't. She had to brace herself, especially after what had happened last time.

A part of her wondered if she could somehow reach that young boy she saw in that vision. The part that Nabooru and Impa had spoken of. The same part he'd lost when Ganon and the Twinrova sisters had used him. Some of the oldest legends of the Triforce said that the three who bore the power of the Goddess' were meant to be heroes who would rise up and defend the realm in its hour of need. Perhaps, if it hadn't been for that fateful night, Ganondorf may never have succumbed to the evil that consumed him. The future the Sheikah saw was only one of many possibilities, and perhaps somebody within the Sheikah's ranks had intended that Ganondorf would become the demon king. Had Impa been tricked? It was a disturbing thought.

Zelda wondered if she could still reach Ganondorf? His reaction meant that he was still there; that boy was inside that twisted mess of a man. How to reach him, though... Nabooru would have scoffed at the idea.

No, she thought. It's impossible. Ganon will see right through the act.

They climbed staircases, entering into a well-lit corridor with torches sputtering in their sconces. Here, several Bulblins loitered and snapped to attention with quick salutes as the Moblins passed. The Moblins didn't spare a glance for their shorter relatives, regarding them like a lord before a commoner.

The corridor led to a vast circular hall. Zelda vaguely remembered this room from the last time she'd been here. That had been just after her capture, and she'd been too dazed to take much in.

Opposite the door they stepped through, a stairway wound its way towards the tower's peak. Zelda glanced up, beholding a dizzying sight. It was as though they were inside an enormous chimney, with the staircase rising upward towards the tower top.

Are we climbing that? she thought incredulously. It would take her ages to reach the top, if not longer. How had they gotten up there last time?

A disturbance distracted Zelda. She watched as the two iron doors that led out of the tower rumbled open. The doors themselves were enormous, perhaps wide enough to allow four or five Gorons to enter abreast.

An Iron Knuckle entered, its armor clanking noisily. Two brutish Moblins walked just beside it. Zelda stared at the sharp edges of the Iron Knuckle's axe, certain it was stained with the crimson blood of those she'd known and loved. It might not have been the same Iron Knuckle, but the memories she'd seen were still raw and fresh in her mind.

"How goes the battle?" the captain of Zelda's guard asked.

Battle? she thought. Had the attack already proceeded without her? Zelda felt a flicker of hope- rescue was coming. That was enough to distract her, and Zelda looked away from the Iron Knuckle's weapon.

"They've been pounding their fists against the walls for hours," one of the two Moblins called. "The boss wants us to hurry up with his plan. If they get in before we're done-"

"They won't get in," the captain growled, turning his head to fix Zelda a baleful stare. "Move!"

They didn't head for the staircase as Zelda expected, but rather towards a small dais on one side of the room. Making sure his party was on the platform, the Moblin captain pulled the lever beside the dais. When he did, the world spun.

A portal, she thought, her stomach lurching as they were swept into another part of the tower.

When the world stopped spinning, Zelda saw they were in another corridor with rooms branching off to the sides. The passage was empty, save for several guards, who nodded to their comrades as they stepped away from the portal.

"Didn't get lost this time?" one of them called, laughing quietly.

Zelda's guards made no response. They exited the corridor and found themselves standing on the staircase that wound its way up the tower. They stopped by the railing for a moment, and when Zelda peered over, her head swam with vertigo. She could barely see the Iron Knuckle far below. One of the guards cursed, pulling her away from the railing as though afraid she might haul herself over it.

This process of navigating portals and corridors repeated as the Moblins steered her into another room and over to a second portal. The process repeated, and Zelda tried memorizing the way they came, partly to keep her mind occupied, but also because it might help her escape.

Slim chance of that, she mused. All the corridors looked similar, lined with long black arches that were engraved with archaic runes. Four portals later, and Zelda was almost at the top of the tower. When they exited the side chamber and came out into the tower's central chamber, Zelda's guards led her to a set of gilded double doors. It was intricately carved with the horrific image of a boar-like creature with enormous tusks. Zelda had seen that beast before in a vision.

She didn't realize she'd stopped until the guards prodded her forward, not caring to be gentle. The doors were pushed open, revealing the same room where Zelda had met Ganondorf before. The fire still blazed in the hearth, and Ganondorf stood watching her. He held a goblet in one hand, which he placed back on the table as his guards entered.

One of the moblins grabbed her, led her across the room, and then tossed her in front of Ganondorf like a sack. Refusing to be utterly humiliated, Zelda pushed herself to her feet. The effort made the world spin again, but she managed to steady herself.

"Sleep well?" Ganondorf asked in mock pleasantry, his smile anything but kind. He regarded her for a moment, then gestured to the balcony as if beckoning her to join him. "I see your people are putting up quite a valiant fight. Such a shameful waste of life. They die even as we speak, meddling with powers they cannot comprehend. It was selfish and foolish of you to bring them here."

"It was foolish of you to attack them," Zelda said, maintaining her calm composure. "They will come for you. The Hero of Time will stop you."

"The Hero of Time?" Ganondorf laughed. "Is that what you call your little hound now? Just how much do you know of the cycle which we are bound to? We are both bound to Time's Wheel, destined to be reborn at the end of each age. I can change that, I can destroy the Wheel of Time and put this cycle of rebirth to an end. There is nothing your supposed hero can do to stop that."

"Destroy time itself?" Zelda asked, flabbergasted. Was this Ganon speaking or his host? "You mean to destroy everything the Goddesses created? Even the Goddesses themselves? You're insane!"

Ganondorf's brow furrowed deeper, anger flashing in his eyes. Zelda swallowed. Before he could say anything, a Moblin burst into the room. The beast stood panting for a moment, clasping its thighs and gasping for breath.

"What is it?" Ganondorf asked irritably.

"My lord," the moblin wheezed, kneeling and raising his head. "The city walls have been breached. The Hylians and their allies are converging on the tower as we speak."

"Let them come," Ganondorf said, drawing a shocked look from the Moblin. If he was at all disturbed by the news, Ganondorf didn't show it. "My preparations are in place, are they not?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Good," Ganondorf said, that dangerous edge creeping into his voice again. "What of the boy?"

"Still alive, my lord," the Moblin replied. "He is with the Hylians."

"Good." Ganondorf sounded pleased. "Since he has eluded capture this far, I will let him come to me. The climb will no doubt exhaust him. Now go and join your kin. Once I have the other Triforce shards, I will finally have my way with this damned kingdom."

The Moblin turned and fled the room. The two guards positioned outside slammed the doors shut, sealing Zelda's fate. She suppressed a shiver as Ganondorf turned to her. She would not appear weak, not as long as she could help it.

"Getting the Triforce of Courage will not be so difficult," Ganondorf said, turning towards the balcony. "I might not even have to kill the boy's fairy to get it, despite the pleasure that would give me."

"He will stop you," Zelda said, trying to sound defiant.

Ganondorf laughed. It was a harsh and bitter sound. "We will see about that." he turned to face her, sneering. "We will see."

He drew his blade, and Zelda flinched as the metal hummed against the sheath. She watched as Ganondorf examined the black blade. Was it just her imagination, or could she hear the screams of Ganondorf's victims as she beheld the profane weapon?

Ganondorf laid the sword on the table, then turned to Zelda."Let's try this again, shall we?" he said. "I was careless last time, I admit. I won't allow you to gain control again."

With that, he stepped towards her. Zelda steeled herself, knowing what was coming, and hoped that her will alone would be enough to protect her.

~ 0 ~

"Something is wrong, and I do not like it."

Link glanced up at the tower's distant heights, feeling a sliver of dismay. Somewhere above, he sensed the Triforce of Power and Wisdom. Courage was aware of it, only adding to Link's unease.

What was causing the two Triforce pieces to suddenly flare like beacons upon a faraway hill, he wasn't sure. Either his proximity was somehow responsible, which hadn't occurred on the other occasions Link had encountered Ganondorf, or something was happening up there.

"Link," Navi zipped to his side, landing on his shoulder and noticing his frown. "What is it?"

"Something's wrong," he said, staring at the tower's distant heights. "I'm not sure what it is, but we need to get up there quickly."

"Agreed," Courage added. "We must hurry, for I fear whatever it is, we don't have much time."

Link didn't notice Toru or the Gerudo walk up behind him, the two Mithiran sorcerers who'd been accompanying Toru joining them as well, their uniforms caked with dirt and blood. Beyond them, near the entrance, an Iron Knuckle lay slumped against the door.

"I can sense it too," said one of the sorcerers. Link was sure he'd heard Toru call her Tinnet. "Perhaps it would be prudent to summon our riders and have them fly to the tower's top."

Shinju shook her head. "I already told you. We've only secured the first few floors, and you saw what happened to that last rider."

"Can you get us to the top using the portals?" Toru asked.

"Yes," Shinju replied. "But it won't be quick."

"Well," Navi said, lowering her gaze to the woman. "It'll be faster than walking up."

Link very much doubted he'd be in any fit condition to fight, with or without the Triforce of Courage, if he had to run all the way up the winding staircase. If only Navi could have flown a portal stone to the top. Ordinarily, she could have done just that, but a single fairy flying to the tower's peak would not go unnoticed.

Shinju guided them to a black stone dais with a lever on one side. Link climbed onto it, a small retinue of Gerudo, Hylian, and Mithiran soldiers gathering around him. The world spun, and a heartbeat later, they found themselves inside a darkened passage. Only the flickering torches they'd brought with them gave off any light, flickering against doors that led to an empty barracks and an armory. Bodies littered the corridor, and they stepped quickly over the dead, hurrying toward the door situated at the far end of the passage.

They pushed the doors open and stood at the edge of the spiral staircase. To Link's dismay, the portal had only taken them up several stories. He could sense the other two Triforce pieces, and just briefly, he felt a stab of fear and pain that wasn't his own.

No... no, I won't...

Link heard Zelda's anguished plea and then the contact was gone. He tripped on a Bulblin's body, and Shinju grabbed him by the arm, steadying him.

"I'm fine," Link said. He glanced back up at the tower's heights far above. For a heartbeat, he had somehow touched Zelda's consciousness. At that moment, he'd sensed her pain, and known deep down that something was horribly wrong.

"Zelda," he whispered, his fear rising. Just what was Ganondorf doing to her?

Zelda? he tried reaching out to her with his mind, but telepathy wasn't something he was accustomed to using. Zelda, if you can hear me, I'm coming!

Could she even hear him? He felt no response. Nothing but silence.

"She can't hear you." There was concern in the spirit's words, and tiny coils of anger flowed through the bond. Not anger. Rage.

"What's the hold-up?" Toru asked him as their entourage caught up. They could still hear fighting coming from above. It appeared that the Gerudo had advanced beyond this point, aided by their numerous allies.

"It's Zelda," Link said quietly, breaking away from his thoughts. "She's in pain."

Navi looked at him, concerned. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know what he's doing to her..." Link said quietly, his voice shaking. "But it's hurting her."

Toru seemed to grasp the gravity of those words, for his expression became hard. "I'm not climbing this bloody tower just to find out we've already lost. You there-" he gestured at a frowning Shinju. "Take the lead. Hurry!"

Without a word of complaint, Shinju complied. Her women formed rank around her, spears at the ready. They ran up the staircase and took the next doorway, the adjoining corridor revealing yet another barracks, the smell of it nearly sending everyone running the other way. Link followed her, gasping from the speed of the climb. They passed Gerudo fighting Moblins and Bulblins and hurried down an adjoining corridor, passing shut doors that led into workrooms and the quarters of former Gerudo officers. and then entered a small side chamber. Here, they found a stone dais that revealed the next portal. It brought them up a few more stories, but when Link saw how much further he had left to climb, he felt dread and dismay coil in his gut.

As they climbed higher, Link found more Moblins defending the passages, and just as Shinju had warned, there were traps and Beamos everywhere. Shinju helped Link navigate a path around the worst of it. Even then, one poor Gerudo stepped onto a raised tile, a glyph etched onto its surface. When she did, sharp stakes rose out of small pits in the floor, skewering their hapless victims.

Further on, a seemingly innocuous obelisk belched fire down the corridor. Link cursed, ducking back around the corner they'd come from, the others following suit.

One man who'd rushed ahead of Link was not so lucky. The flames slammed into him, and he screamed, the fire melting the flesh from his bones. Link chanced another look, spotted the red gemstone sitting inside an alcove at the obelisk's centre, and was then forced to avoid another blast of fire.

Thinking quickly, Shinju ducked behind her mirror shield and charged up the corridor, allowing the flames to bounce harmlessly off the enchanted shield and crash into the obelisk, obliterating it.

Toru reached the blackened remains of the fallen Hylian and cursed loudly when he saw there was nothing that could be done.

"We keep moving," he said resolutely, staring towards the black doors at the corridor's end. "Link, anything?"

Link shook his head. The presence of the other two Triforce pieces was stronger now, but as for Zelda, he hadn't felt anything more from her.

Did that mean she was...

No. Link thought, banishing the idea before considering it any further.

They ran back into the tower's central chamber where they could finally see the landing at the top. Below them, several Bulblins gave a shout and charged up the stairs. Link ignored them, and instead followed Shinju as they continued their long climb.

The group entered another passage and found what Link hoped was the final portal. He'd almost reached it when Stalfos began swarming into the corridor from several side passages. Link's small retinue was pushed into the centre, cut off from their target.

"Move!" Toru shouted as more Stalfos streamed into the passage.

Link hacked away at the Stalfos, fending off skeleton after skeleton. Behind him, men screamed, and the two sorcerers sent blast after blast of fire into the Stalfos' ranks. Charred bone crumbled to the floor. One of the two mages screamed as an arrow pierced her shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the Stalfos descended on her like hounds seizing their wounded prey.

"Tinnet!" the woman's companion screamed. She was distracted for just a heartbeat, and that was all it took for the Stalfos to advance on her.

"No!" Link bellowed, trying to cut his way towards the sorceress. He was too far away, the foes between him and the woman's attackers too numerous. Tinnet's dying screams cut through him as the Stalfos struck her, their cruel weapons tearing into her flesh.

Toru swore again and roared for Link to keep moving. The few Hylians and Gerudo still standing ran for the portal, and a few remaining brave souls held off the oncoming undead horde.

Before Link could consider aiding them, Toru pulled him into the portal and yanked the lever as hard as he could. The world disintegrated, and soon they were in another passage. For a moment, Link stood there shaking, unable to believe they had simply left so many of their allies to die. Before he could think much more, a sharp pain sliced through his head, and he gasped, falling to his knees.

No... not her... please... not her... please, don't...

Zelda's consciousness briefly touched his own, and Link could hear the terrible agony of her plea.

Zelda! he thought back, desperately trying to reach her. Zelda, hang on!

In his mind, Zelda screamed, the sound piercing him like a knife blade. He realized with a sickening horror that Ganondorf was torturing her, just like he had tortured and killed so many others.

"I shall destroy him!" Anger burned in Courage's words, flowing like hot fire through the bond. "He cannot be allowed to prevail. Not this time!"

As quickly as it began, the anger receded.

"Not this time?" Link repeated back, troubled.

"Never mind. Those were different circumstances."

Link felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder, and he glanced upward to see Toru peering at him gravely. "I'd let you rest if I could, son," he said. "But I fear we don't have much time. You saw something just now, didn't you?"

Link nodded. "He's torturing her," he said weakly, reeling from both Courage's contact and her own.

Navi gasped, her eyes round.

"That bastard," Toru said, his face growing hard.

Link looked around at the survivors within their small party. Only five others apart from himself had survived. It almost seemed like the Stalfos had been focused on everyone but him.

He looked up to see Shinju already making her way up the corridor, her eyes enraged at losing so many of her own.

Ganondorf is going to pay, Link thought.

"That he shall," Courage agreed.

He joined Shinju, and they opened the doors to find that they were only a short walk from the tower's top. Several stories below them, the Bulblins running up the staircase had given up their chase. They lay on the steps, groaning and completely exhausted, some clutching their limbs as though they'd been overcome by cramps.

Link decided to let them be and turned back towards his destination. He noted two sets of double doors, the one closest to him bearing a hideous carving of a boar-like monster, its teeth bared in a wolf-like snarl. He could feel the other Triforce pieces just beyond those doors, calling him.

Zelda was inside. From the day he'd awoken in the Sacred Realm, he'd been preparing for this moment. This was it. Once he stepped through those doors, Hyrule's fate would be decided by the end of a sword.

Before Link could move, he heard fighting behind him and knew the Stalfos had given chase. Turning around, he saw them charging up the stairs, their numbers far greater than Link's company.

"Pahket guide you, Link!" Shinju said. "I'll hold them off."

Toru turned to Link, his face grim. "Go. Your place is with Zelda!" The General of the Queen's Banner held his blade hard. "Go! Make sure you kill the damn bastard for me! For all of us!"

With a cry of defiance, Toru charged. The last of his men and the Gerudo joined him, screaming shouts of their own.

"Link!" Navi's voice was pained. "You know what you have to do. Hurry!"

Reluctantly, Link turned and ran. Behind him, he could still hear Toru's battle cry, the clang of steel upon steel, and the Stalfos' snarls. He ran, leaving the others behind and feeling like he was condemning them to their fate.

Reaching the double doors decorated with the snarling boar, Link gripped the Master Sword tightly and twisted so that his shoulder was aimed at the doors. He rammed them open with all his might.

Charging inside, he barely made it five steps before he came to an abrupt halt. A chill spread through him, gnawing into his heart.

"Welcome, Hero of Time," Ganondorf said coldly, his voice making Link's hair stand on end. "I'm so glad you could finally join us."

Ganondorf stood at the room's centre, gripping Zelda tightly with one hand, a barely discernable barrier between Link and himself. There was a dagger clasped in his other hand, its cruel edge pressed against Zelda's throat.

No!

Link stepped forward, and Zelda whimpered softly as Ganondorf tightened his grip on the knife.

"One more step boy and she dies," Ganondorf growled.

Tears stained Zelda's cheeks, but it was the pleading look in her eyes that frightened Link most of all. Those sad, haunting eyes searched his one. Her eyes seemed hollow, with no trace of the fire or determination Link had seen only a day ago. A strange emptiness had replaced Zelda's steadfast resolve, and that frightened him more than anything.

Link found himself staring at the gauntlet on Ganondorf's left hand. The Triforce shone upon its surface, Power and Wisdom burning brighter than the rest.

Wait...

Wisdom?

Link's heart sank, and the enormity of what he was seeing struck him like a blade through the heart.

No!

Ganondorf had acquired the Triforce of Wisdom. Link's mind screamed in denial. Zelda had given it to him.

Link wanted to rush at Ganondorf and attack him with every last ounce of his strength. Only the risk of Zelda's safety, and the barrier, stopped him.

A sense of revulsion flowed through Link's mind, followed by hot anger. Again that face appeared before him, its fierce white eyes burning with fury.

"We have come too far for this, and I cannot harm him from here," Courage said. "I can heal Zelda's mind, but I will need your help. Summon the Sages and we may yet prevail."

Her mind? Those words nearly distracted Link, but he kept focused on the man standing before him.

"This has gone on long enough, Ganondorf," Link said, finding the strength to speak. "Let her go and we shall end this now!"

"Yes," Ganondorf said, sneering. "Yes, indeed we shall."

Before Link could act, another figure in flowing, red and ebony robes appeared just beside him. In some ways, the regal figure looked just like Rauru, except his beard and moustache were bushier and he appeared semi-transparent. A crown adorned his head, and it took Link a second to realize that this was the king he'd heard so much about.

How is that possible?

Hyrule's former king stared at Ganondorf with a look of pure hatred.

"Let her go!" he growled, his voice dangerous.

Ganondorf's eyes widened.

"You!" he said, his voice hushed. "I killed you!"

"Not well enough," Nohansen said. "You have taken everything else from me. Let my daughter go!"

"Summon them now!" Courage urged Link. "We can still save Zelda, but we need their aid."

Seizing upon the distraction, Link withdrew the stone from his pocket. Courage blazed on his gauntlet, and the stone grew warm, disintegrating in his hand as he summoned the Sages.

With bright flashes of light, the six materialized around him. Saria, Rauru, Nabooru, Ruto, Darunia, and Impa. They didn't take long to shake off their disorientation, and all of them stared wide-eyed when they saw Zelda within Ganondorf's grasp. The oddest reaction was Rauru; when he spotted Nohansen's ghost there was an odd flicker of recognition in his eyes and his face went pale.

Darunia growled, raising the hammer in his hands. The fury in those eyes alone would have been enough to send most men running. Nabooru recovered first, withdrawing her scimitars and casting a knowing glance at Darunia. They nodded, glanced at Impa, and saw her moving towards the barrier, her staff ready.

"You have failed, all of you," Ganondorf said. "Let this be an example of what happens to those who defy the Ancients' powers."

Link felt his heart stop.

"NO!" he screamed, a voice in his mind echoing those words.

Several things happened at once. An odd glow shimmered around four of the Sages, Impa included, and she aimed her staff at the barrier. Lightning crackled from it, striking the barrier and dispelling it in an instant. On cue, Nabooru dashed to the side, looking as though she intended to attack Ganondorf's flank. Darunia took the other side. Link charged, his eyes going wide as he saw what was about to happen.

Ganondorf's cruel blade slid across Zelda's throat, blood spilling onto its cold surface and dripping onto Zelda's blouse. The look of shock and pain on Zelda's face was brief. There was a horrid, desperate noise that sounded like she was trying to draw breath. Zelda reached a hand to her throat, as though hoping to stem the flow of blood that gushed from the wound. Then her arm slackened, dropping to her side, the last of her strength ebbing away. Link saw her eyes glaze over, and in that terrible instant, he knew she was gone.

Zelda's body slid to the floor, lifeless.


Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 57 . Apr 1, 2017 WHAT NO WHY DAMN IT NO GAAH KILL HIM LINK, BEAT THAT SON OF A BITCH Ahem. Sorry. I'm good. Oh wait, no I'm not.

HelixHero chapter 57 . Jun 12, 2016 Hello! Sorry, my iPad has been acting up. Anyway, that chapter was AWESOME! Love your writing style!

Shaveza chapter 57 . Jan 2, 2016 ...what. What just... What? *flails* WHAT? THIS WAS A WONDERFUL CHAPTER BUT THAT IS LITERALLY ALL I CAN THINK RIGHT NOW!

Lord Darth Yoda chapter 57 . Jan 1, 2016 Wow. Did not see that ending coming... thought the trip up the tower seemed too easy, too quick. Like things were going too well. Turns out they were. And now it's worse. Definitely didn't expect Nohansen to pop up and it fits quite well with Canon. Btw don't know if you've seen the Force Awakens but the scene with Zelda and Ganondorf reminded me of a pivotal moment from the New movie.

TheHero136 chapter 57 . Jan 1, 2016 Wow! Never saw that coming. Good work. Just a few typos and incorrect words in a few places, but I bet you'll be able to fix it rather easily. Good work. Cant wait for next chapter.

lalalei chapter 57 . Jan 1, 2016 Ohhhhh no. The story of the game has gone completely off-the-rails now. AND I LOVE IT! Kinda reminds me of A Link to the Past, as well as the very first Zelda game. For some reason.