Fan Fiction ❯ Through the eyes of a Princess ❯ part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

(A/N): This is part two. Enjoy, and tell me what you think!

Zelda materialized in the cave, this time careful to keep her balance. As she suspected the ground was slick with ice here as well. She looked around and noticed a large chest in the center of the room. A peek inside showed it to contain the iron boots that Ruto had mentioned. She had no idea how long it would take for the Hero to arrive, so she settled in for a good long wait.

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Zelda woke from a light doze to the sound of footsteps clicking on the ice. She quickly hid herself and watched as the Hero entered the room, sporting new scratches and carrying a sword slick with blood. She shuddered, she had never seen the blood from his fights before, she could only imagine what he was thinking about it. He probably didn't even notice anymore. He noticed the chest and his eyes widened. She watched as he wiped his sword on the snowy ground and sheathed it before going over and opening the chest. He grinned when he saw what was inside, and pulled out the iron soled boots, promptly putting them on. As he laughed at the clanging sound his footsteps made Zelda slipped behind him. *Like a child with a new toy,* she thought, waiting for him to turn and notice her. He didn't seem to sense her presence this time, and only realized she was there when he turned to go. He started in surprise, hand going to his sword, before he registered who she was.

"Sheik!"

Zelda nodded. "We meet again, Link." He nodded faintly.

"If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time. This is all there is. With one exception, the Zoras are now sealed under this thick ice sheet. I managed to rescue the Zora princess... Link blinked in surprise.

"Ruto?" Zelda nodded.

"But, she left to head for the Water Temple. This ice is created by an evil curse. The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt..." Link shuddered.

"If you have the courage to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple." She looked at him levelly and he nodded, looking determined.

"Time passes, people move...like a river's flow it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition... She was reminded of two young children, a boy and a girl, standing in a garden and planning how they were going to save Hyrule. It seemed like another lifetime now. Perhaps in a way it was.

"Young love will become deep affection, the clear water's surface reflects growth. Now, listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself..."

This time she wanted to drag out the song, not really wanting the moment to end. Still, she had to go and he had a monster to slay. Besides, she could no longer feel her feet. She ended the song and stepped back, throwing a Deku nut to make the signature white flash and teleporting away.

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Zelda appeared just outside the scientist's laboratory and entered, hoping to find Ruto there despite telling Link that she was in the temple. The only person there was the old scientist. Zelda looked at him wearily. "She has gone to the temple, hasn't she?" The old man nodded.

"Yes, I couldn't stop her. She did seem to recover quickly thanks to my medicine." Zelda smiled beneath her mask.

"Of course she did, your medicines always work."

The scientist smiled at the praise, then frowned at her. "You look asleep on your feet. Since she isn't occupying the cot I suggest that you take it, you look like you could use some sleep."

Zelda blinked in surprise, then realized that she was swaying slightly as she stood there. She smiled under the mask. "Thank you, I hadn't realized quite how tired I was."

"Of course not, you were too busy worrying about everyone else in the world if I'm not mistaken."

Zelda laughed, that was quite accurate. She sat down on the bed. "A young man dressed in green with a fairy is coming to the Water Temple. Please wake me if I'm still asleep when he comes out of the temple."

The old man smiled and nodded. "Now, get some sleep, lad. You won't do anyone any good if you're exhausted."

"Thank you," Zelda murmured again, laying her head on the pillow. She fell asleep almost instantly, dimly hearing the old man's chuckle as he laid a blanket over her before oblivion took her.

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Zelda awoke to the find the old man shaking her shoulder and telling her to wake up. She blinked at him sleepily for a moment before sitting up and shaking her head to clear it. He laughed. "You really must have needed that, you slept for almost a day."

Zelda blinked at him, then smiled. "Yes, I suppose I did. Thank you."

He smiled at her. "Well, I would have let you sleep yourself out, but you did say to wake you when that boy came out of the temple. He's on the edge of the Lake right now."

"Thank you so much. I really must be going, I wish there was some way I could repay you..."

He held up a hand. "Not necessary. I heard you talking to the Zora girl, that boy is the Hero of Time, isn't he? The one who will save Hyrule? And you are helping him, which is why you looked like you hadn't slept for a week. Am I right?

Zelda nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, that's it in a nutshell."

"Well, get going then! I'm sure you have world saving to do!"

Zelda laughed and complied, teleporting to Hyrule Field to wait for Link.

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Zelda reappeared in the field and looked around, feeling better than she had in days. *I really needed that rest! I feel so much better now.* Out of habit she scanned the horizon, not really expecting to see anything out of the ordinary. *Death Mountain is back to normal at least. I wonder what's going on back....* she gasped. Smoke, spiraling up from what could only be Kakariko village. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment, then race as if it was trying to beat its way out of her chest. She said a silent prayer that it wasn't too bad, then teleported to the village to see what she could do.

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Zelda materialized near the gate of Kakariko and was instantly assaulted by the heat and smoke in the air. The town was burning! Several of the houses were in flames and people where running everywhere, trying to save their family members and possessions. *What could have done this? Was there a lightning strike, or a cooking fire got out of control or...* A cold blast beset her senses, but it was not a physical chill. This was purely mental, an evil presence that no one besides herself could feel. She carefully scanned the village for a sign of where the presence was coming from and her eyes stopped on the well. A dark shadow was trying to escape. She shivered slightly despite the heat. She had been told tales of this creature when she was a child, of a monster sealed in the well of Kakariko by the Sheikah, but had never believed them. Now she was seeing first-hand that it was true.

Zelda determinedly approached the well, looking more calm than she felt. She extended her hands and called upon her magical power, reinforcing the seal on the well. She could not hold him for long...she needed someone more powerful to help. ~Rauru!~

She waited for a moment which seemed like an eternity, then tried again. ~Rauru!~

Still nothing. She was growing desperate now. ~Rauru, please! Rauru!!~

A familiar footstep behind her caught her attention and she turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw the stunned face of the man behind her. *Link...*

She turned towards him. "Get back, Link!" *I cant hold it much longer....*

That one moment of inattention was all the shadow needed to break the seal. Several stone blocks flew from the top of the well, thudding to the ground around them. Zelda was helpless as the shadow picked her up in the air and threw her, sending her crashing to the ground. She gasped in pain from the impact, and could only watch from the ground as the shadow flew at Link, knocking him to the ground. She winced as Link hit his head off of a rock and lay still. Unimpeded, the shadow flew out of the gate and into Hyrule Field, moving toward Ganondorf's castle.

Zelda painfully got to her feet and stumbled over to link, falling to her knees at his side. "Link." She shook him. "Link!" It was no good, the fall had knocked him unconscious. She sat by his side and waited for him to come to.

After several minutes he groaned, turning his head slightly. She smiled. "Looks like you're coming around." Link squinted up at her and gave an annoyed grunt. Zelda's eyes twinkled for a moment, and then grew serious.

"Link, a terrible thing has happened! The evil shadow spirit has been released! Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village has sealed the evil shadow spirit in the bottom of the well, but the force of the evil spirit got so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into the world!" Link's eyes widened and he sat up, wincing as he felt the growing lump on the back of his head.

Zelda swallowed hard. "I believe Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it again, but...she will be in danger without any help!" She forced down a lump in her throat as she remembered another fact that she had tried to forget about. "Link, Impa is one of the six Sages. Destroy the evil shadow and save Impa!" She gazed into Link's eyes, silently pleading for his help. He nodded slowly and got to his feet, Zelda standing as well.

"There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard behind this village. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple. *I wish there was more I could do...*

"This is the melody that will draw you into infinite darkness that absorbs even time. Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!" Zelda pulled out her harp and began the song, trying to loose herself in the music and forget about her problems. It didn't work. All too soon the song was over and Link was surveying the village as if he was trying to figure out how he could help.

"Let me take care of the village. I'm counting on you, Link!" She stepped back and threw a Deku Nut, vanishing from his sight. She reappeared behind a house and watched from the shadows as he walked away. Then she came out from her hiding place to assist in restoring the village. Maybe if she lost herself in the work she wouldn't think of how much her heart hurt.

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Zelda looked around at the newly rebuilt buildings and nodded to herself. They had rebuilt the destroyed buildings in an astonishingly short amount of time. Still, she was concerned. Link was still in the Shadow Temple. Why hadn't he come back yet? What could have happened? She heard footsteps approaching and ducked behind a building. To her surprise and relief Link came stumbling out of the graveyard. He slumped to the ground, leaning against the cliff under the windmill. He rolled his head wearily toward his Fairy.

"What now?"

"Sheik said, `one in a deep forest, one in a high mountain, one under a vast lake, one within the house of the dead, one inside a goddess of the sand.' We've gotten all the others, so all that's left is the `goddess of the sand.' That must be the Gerudo Desert."

Link sighed. "Alright, lets go."

Zelda watched him walk out of Kakariko village, eyes wide. He looked...awful. At this rate he would be merely a sword-fighting automaton, the Fairy was obviously the driving force at this point, he simply followed her orders and fought when required. It got the job done, but it certainly wasn't the best system. She wished there was another way to do this. Could the Hero really win if all he was, was a pair of hands to swing the legendary sword? Was it possible for him to beat Ganondorf if his heart wasn't really in it? Zelda closed her eyes and sighed, teleporting to the edge of the desert. Hopefully everything would still turn out alright.

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Zelda materialize next to he canyon which divided the desert from Hyrule and stared. The bridge, the only thing linking the desert with the surrounding countries, was broken. She looked more closely at the severed ends of the ropes and was surprised to see that they had been cut. This had been done on purpose. She peered around but saw no one except a carpenter, probably here to try to fix the bridge. *Odd, he should have a full team with him,* she thought. She slipped past the man and went toward the Gerudo Fortress, hoping to find some answers.

Zelda slunk through the shadows, careful not to be seen by any of the Gerudo. They were probably all loyal to Ganondorf, and besides, the Gerudo and Sheikah never were very friendly. They would most likely kill her on sight. She spotted the entrance to the prison cells and peered inside. She wasn't very surprised to find the missing carpenters there. The Gerudo never liked men much either. She quickly left the fortress, not liking the number of guards she saw. She hoped Link would be able to make it through alright. One of the Gerudo was supposed to be a Sage after all...

She quickly decided that she should just head straight to the Desert Colossus and wait for Link to arrive. She closed her eyes and teleported, the Gerudo never knowing of the enemy in their midst.

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Zelda sprawled out on top of a stone archway, enjoying the feel of sun on her face. She and Sheik used to go outside and lie there for hours, watching the sky until the sun went down and the stars came out. That is what they had been doing when... She choked on that thought. It got easier to bear every day, but the pain never really went away. It was merely dulled by familiarity, from an all-consuming burning to a steady ache in her heart. She could live with it, even take her mind off it for hours at a time, but it was always there. She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened. She couldn't cry now. She would cry when this was all over, she couldn't cry now.

She sat up abruptly and stared across the desert, hoping that Link would arrive soon. She squinted into the distance and could just barely make out the figure of a man crossing the sand. She lay flat against the stone, using her Sheikah abilities to practically vanish into the rock. She watched as Link approached the colossus and read an inscription on the wall. While his back was turned she silently jumped to the ground and came up behind him. She noticed with some amusement an owl flying above them. ~Checking up on us, eh Rauru?~

~Hmph. I am merely enjoying the view.~

~Sure you are. Owls aren't supposed to be in the desert you know.~

~Know it all. Now if you would give him the information he needs...~

~I know, I know.~

Link finally noticed her presence and spun, drawing his sword. Zelda was surprised, he hadn't drawn on her since the Forest Temple. His nerves must be more frayed than she had thought if he was this edgy. His eyes widened and he sheathed his sword, looking at her apologetically.

"Sorry, Sheik. I...Sorry."

Zelda just nodded and began her speech. He would never get into the temple without her help. "Past, present, future...the master sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time's river. The port for that ship is in the Temple of Time... To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple, you must travel back through time's flow..." She pulled out her harp. "Listen to the Requiem of Spirit...this melody will lead a child back to the desert."

As she played, she looked around out of the corners of her eyes. Sure enough, the owl was watching them as they played. ~Enjoying yourself, Rauru?~

~Immensely, my dear girl.~

The song ended and she stepped back, throwing the Deku nut to blind Link as she teleported. She landed on the outskirts of the desert and waited. Soon enough the owl swooped over her head and perched in the tree she was under. Zelda looked up at him.

"Have you found anything?"

"About Sheik I presume? Hoot hooo." Zelda nodded. "I'm sorry..."

She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened. "It's alright. If Ganondorf got him...there is probably nothing left to find anyway."

"Don't talk like that, child..."

"Well, is it better for him to have died quickly and cleanly, or to rot away in a dungeon until he wishes for death? I hope it was quick..."

He turned his head over and looked at her upside-down. "We don't know that he is dead...."

"I don't know what's worse, thinking he's dead...or hoping that he is alive when that means he is a prisoner in who-knows-what condition..." She bit down on her knuckles and tried to fight the tears. She was losing.

"Ah, chin-up my dear, I'm sure everything will work out all right in the end. Hoot Hooo."

She smiled at him through her tears. "Thanks, Rauru."

"I must go now. Good luck!"

She watched his fly up until he was no more than a speck against the noonday sun, then turned and headed for Kakariko. With luck she could get a full night's sleep before Link returned.

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Zelda awoke, somewhat disoriented to find herself in a comfortable bed under a roof. She roused completely and remembered that she had spent the night in Impa's house in Kakariko. She shook her head. They still called it that even though she hadn't lived there since she had taken a job in the palace, specifically her role as Zelda's own guardian. She dragged herself out of bed and stumbled to the door, surprised to see that it was daylight. Had the Hero freed the Sage yet? ~Rauru...~

~Don't worry, child. I would have woken you. He is just leaving the Gerudo Desert. If you go now you will be at the Temple of Time long before him.~

~Yes, but...~ She looked down at her hand and a glowing golden triangle appeared on it.

~What happens if we get caught?~

~You won't get caught. Besides, the Hero of Time will be with you! You have nothing to worry about!~

~But...the Temple is where Sheik disappeared...and we each have a piece of the Triforce. That would make a very tempting target for Ganondorf.~

~You worry to much, m'dear. Just go on over to the Temple and wait for the boy. Remember what you are supposed to give him! Hang in there, Zelda. This will all be over soon.~

~One way or another....~ Zelda opened her eyes, still hearing Rauru's chuckle at her pessimistic last words. *Well, only way to find out is to go,* she thought, and teleported.

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Zelda landed lightly on a ledge, and leaned against the wall, staring into the sunlight which filtered through the small window behind the Door of Time. She did not know it, but she was sitting on the same ledge Sheik had used while waiting for the Hero to awaken. Before long, footsteps echoed against the stone walls and the Hero stepped into the room, entering the column of light which shone upon the Pedestal of Time. Zelda dropped to the floor behind him and he turned, not looking surprised to see her.

"I have been waiting for you, Link. Link, the Hero of Time...you have overcome many hardships and awakened six Sages. And now you have a final challenge, a showdown with Ganondorf, the King of Evil. Before that...I have things I want to tell only to you. Please listen." Link nodded and Zelda took a deep breath before continuing.

"Another unknown legend of the Triforce passed down by the shadow folk, the Sheikahs... If you would seek the sacred triangle, listen well. The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart...the heart of the one who enters it." She paused and looked at Link, but he didn't seem to get what she was saying. She explained, "If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will be a paradise." Link's eyes widened and she nodded, satisfied that he understood.

"The Triforce....the sacred triangle...it is a balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom and Courage. If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all. But, if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce...the part representing the force that one most believes in. If that one seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two lost parts. Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny, who will bear the Triforce mark on the backs of their hands.

"Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true.

"The Triforce separated into three parts. Only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hand. The strength of the Triforce of Power enabled him to become a mighty, evil king, but his dark ambitions were not satisfied. To gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started looking for those chosen by destiny to hold the other Triforce parts.

"The one who holds the Triforce of Courage is...you, Link!" Link stumbled backwards, shocked.

"M...Me? How? Why? I never..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he looked down at his hand. Sure enough, a golden triangle glowed on his fist. He looked back up at her. "If I have the Triforce of Courage, and Ganondorf has Power, then who has wisdom?"

Zelda looked him in the eye as she continued. "The other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom...is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all." She slowly raised her right hand and the golden Triforce glowed. Link stared at her in shock. *Sorry, Link. The surprises aren't over yet* She closed her eyes and concentrated on the magic which held her glamour in place. Slowly the image of Sheik fell away and she stood before the Hero of Time as herself. He gaped at her and Navi dropped to his shoulder in shock.

"It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda." Link looked like he was about to fall down from the shock, and Zelda hurried to explain. "I apologize for meeting you in disguise, but it was necessary to hide from the King of Evil." *Among other Reasons...* "Please forgive me..." Link nodded faintly, still processing the fact the `Sheik' he knew was really Zelda.

"On that day, seven years ago, Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle. I saw you as I was escaping from the castle with my attendant, Impa. I thought I should entrust the Ocarina to you...I thought that would be our best chance..." She looked into his eyes as she continued.

"As long as you had the Ocarina in your possession, I thought Ganondorf could never enter the Sacred Realm, but..." Link winced.

"Sorry. I didn't...sorry."

She waved his apology away. She should never have forced a child to carry the burden of saving the world in the first place. "Something I never expected happened. After you opened the door of time, the Master Sword sealed you away in the Sacred Realm. Your spirit remained in the Sacred Realm...and then the Triforce fell into Ganondorf's hands. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm....

"Ganondorf had become the Evil King, and the Sacred Realm became a world of evil. All of this is an unfortunate coincidence. I passed myself off as a Sheikah and hoped that you would return. *That is true at least...* I waited for seven years...and...now you are back. The dark age ruled by Ganondorf the Evil King will end! The six Sages will open the sealed door and lure Ganondorf back into the Sacred Realm. I will then seal the door to the Sacred Realm from this world. Thus Ganondorf the Evil King will vanish from Hyrule.

"Link...in order to do this, I need your courage again. Please protect me while I do my part." Link nodded determinedly.

"Of course I will."

Zelda smiled at him faintly. "And here is the weapon that can penetrate the Evil Kings defenses...the power given to the chosen ones..." She focused all her power and a set of arrows materialized in her hands. "The sacred Arrow of Light!!" Link took the arrows and fitted them into his quiver, smiling at her. She started to say something more when the ground shook, throwing them off balance.

"That rumbling..." *No...not now...please no..*. "It can't be!?" They spun and faced the door, dreading what they knew they would see. Sure enough, the ugly face of the Gerudo King glared balefully at them. He laughed menacingly.

"Princess Zelda...you foolish traitor! I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years. But you let your guard down..." Link drew his sword and stood between Zelda and Ganondorf. The Evil King only laughed as he looked down at the young warrior.

I knew you would appear if I let this kid wander around! My only mistake was to slightly underestimate the power of this kid...no..it was not the kid's power I misjudged, it was the power of the Triforce of Courage! But, with the Triforce of Wisdom that Zelda has..." His gaze shifted abruptly to the princess. "When I obtain both these Triforces...Then, I will become the true ruler of the world!!" He laughed maniacally. Zelda started to protest and he glared at her. She felt a sudden surge of energy from him, and suddenly she was encased within a giant purple crystal, floating above the ground. She pounded against the wall, but to no avail. The crystal began to rise higher into the air, leaving the Hero of Time far below her The Evil King laughed at her plight, and turned to Link.

"If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle!!" he roared, following Zelda's crystal into the air, his insane laughter echoing from the stone walls.

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Zelda pounded on the wall on her prison and glared impotently at the Gerudo King. He laughed at her struggles. "Don't bother, Princess, you will never escape the crystal."

She shot him her patented death glare that she had developed while living with the Sheikah and turned away from him, surveying the walls of his throne room. The only way in or out was the main door, so there was no way Link could sneak up on the King of Evil. She sighed and rested her head on the wall of the crystal. Things just seemed to get worse and worse every time she looked. She glanced up as Ganondorf strode over to a large organ in the back of the room. "What are you going to do with that?"

He chuckled and started to play, an eerie, haunting tune that sent shivers up her spine. "That accursed `Hero' of yours will be looking for you, and this will lead him right here. And then, my dear," he grinned, looking rather like a shark, "I will finish him off."

"Never. The Hero of Time will defeat you!"

"Still holding onto those foolish ideas? You might as well stop believing in that kid, he won't win."

She looked away, staring intently at the door and willing Link to hurry. *But...if I don't believe in him, what do I have left to believe in?*

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An hour passed, and Zelda was getting anxious. Ganondorf looked to the door as well and laughed menacingly. "Well, it seems the monsters in my castle are giving your Hero a bit of trouble! Maybe they will get rid of him for me!"

Zelda glared at him. "No way. He will come and he will defeat you."

He laughed at her. "Soon, princess. Soon you shall see who is defeated."

He turned back to the Organ, and after a few moments the door was pushed open and Link stood in the doorway, looking rather the worse for the wear. "Link..."

Ganondorf turned to face Link. "The Triforce powers are resonating! They are combining once again! The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago, I didn't expect they would be hidden within you two!" He sniggered evilly. "And now, finally all the Triforce parts have gathered here! These toys are too much for you!" He raised his right fist and the golden triangle of the Triforce glowed upon it. "I command you to give them to me!" he roared, and lunged at Link, emanating an evil, dark cloud that sent Link's Fairy reeling. Zelda heard her scream to Link that she couldn't get close because of the Dark Energy. Link nodded to her and drew his sword, readying himself for the Dark King's attack.

To their surprise, Ganondorf did not attack Link directly, he stood in the center of the room and raised his fist. A ball of dark energy formed around it and he flung it at Link. Zelda watched helplessly as Link stared at the approaching orb, coming too fast to dodge. At the last moment he desperately swung the Master Sword, and to their great surprise the orb was deflected, flying back at Ganondorf. The Evil King was too surprised at this sudden turn to react and was hit in the chest, sending him to the ground.

Link took full advantage of this moment of weakness to attack the Gerudo directly with his sword, but did little damage because of Ganondorf's thick armor. He jumped back as the Gerudo King rose, and barely managed to deflect another attack of dark energy. This time Ganondorf was ready, and hit the energy ball back at Link. Link managed to send it back, and the exchanged continued for several moments, until the Evil King was hit yet again. This time when Link swung the Master Sword the armor cracked, but before he could take advantage of this Ganondorf was back on his feet. The Evil King raised his arms above his head, gathering his power into one great orb to fire at Link. Zelda pressed her hands against the crystal wall and bit her lip. *The Light arrows, Link, this is why I gave them to you...*

Maybe Link heard her, or maybe he just had some flash of inspiration, but he grabbed his bow and pulled out a Light arrow, fitting it to the string. He aimed at the center of Ganondorf's chest and fired before Ganondorf had a chance to release the orb. The reaction was instant. The power of the Light arrows dissipated the orb and traveled through Ganondorf's body, creating the same effect on him as a lightning strike. The Evil King collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath and Link ran up to take advantage of the Dark Kings helplessness. He raised the master sword and plunged it into the Dark King's back, right where the armor had fractured. Ganondorf's body twisted and he screamed in pain before slumping forward. Link pulled the Master Sword from his body and stepped back, breathing hard. Zelda held her breath as she watched, praying that the King of Evil was dead.

As they watched, Ganondorf moved pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. Zelda gasped and Link raised his sword, but Ganondorf did not stand. He just knelt there, gasping.

"The Great Evil King Ganondorf...beaten by this kid?!" He coughed and spat blood onto the floor. He looked up at the Hero of Time. "Link..." he began, as if trying to curse the young man for defeating him, but before he could continue his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward, crashing into the cold stone. Zelda felt a cold wave of evil emanate from him as his heart stopped. The crystal vanished and she dropped to the ground landing easily. Link looked at the fallen king in wonder.

"We...won..."

Zelda came up beside him, also looking at the man who had caused them all so much pain and loss. "Ganondorf...pitiful man...without a strong, righteous mind, he could not control the power of the gods...and..."

She was cut of by as sudden rumbling from deep within the castle, and the floor shook beneath them. She gasped. This must be the result of the wave of evil! "Link, Listen to me! This tower will collapse soon! With his last breath, Ganondorf is trying to crush us in the remains of the tower! We need to hurry and escape! Please, follow me!" Link nodded and ran along side her through the dilapidated hallways of the once beautiful castle. The skidded to a stop before a barred door.

"Great..." he muttered.

"Be calm." Zelda concentrated her power on the door and the bars withdrew as it unlocked. They raced through the castle, dodging falling debris, and Zelda opened the doors that blocked their way. They raced into the next room and Zelda was unexpectedly hit in the temple, sending her flying. She shook her head to clear it and looked up from the ground to see Link facing off against two Skeletons armed with swords.

She heard the Fairy yell, "Link! Stalfos!" Link growled in annoyance.

"I /know/ Navi!" He quickly defeated the Stalfos by cutting off their skulls and ran over to Zelda, helping her up. "Are you alright?"

She nodded quickly. "Thank you, Link. Now, lets hurry!"

He nodded and they continued their mad dash through the castle, carefully navigating a partially destroyed staircase on the outside of the tower and running past the dead bodies of enemies that Link defeated on his way to fight Ganondorf. Finally she spotted a bright glow of light ahead of them. "Look! Sunlight! We're almost out!"

Link nodded and they redoubled their efforts, shooting though the open door and into the sunlight, well, cloudy world outside. The moment they had cleared the doorway the tower caved in, collapsing on itself. They looked at each other and laughed, giddy with relief. She smiled at Link. "Its over...it's finally over..." *I wish you were here to see it, Sheik...*

Navi flew over to Link. "Link...I'm sorry I couldn't help you in the battle before..."

Link laughed. "It's okay, Navi. It all worked out in the end."

Suddenly a loud boom from the rubble distracted them from their celebration. Zelda looked at the remains of the castle fearfully. "What was that sound...?" She felt an ominous wave of evil energy wash over them and stepped backward. *No...please, no...*

Suddenly the rock in the center of the pile of rubble flew into the air, and Ganondorf erupted out of it. He hung in the air, breathing heavily, and raised his fist to display the Triforce. The Dark Energy surrounding them grew stronger and Ganondorf cried out, throwing his head back, his entire body straining. Zelda watched in horror. "No...he has summoned the power of the Triforce..."

Link nodded mutely and they watched as Ganondorf changed shape. The Evil King grew to tremendous proportions, his muscles bulging. Armor grew over his body and two enormous horns sprouted from his head. A tail extended behind him, and his eyes burned with an evil light. Two giant swords formed in his taloned hands. The hideous monster threw his head back and roared, declaring, "I...am...GANON!!"

Link's hands tightened on the master sword. "Zelda...get back." Zelda nodded in acquiescence and moved back out of what she hoped was the monster's range. Suddenly the monster, Ganon, lunged forward, knocking the Master Sword out of Link's grip. Zelda gasped, watching the sacred sword fly through the air, embedding itself in the ground behind her. The moment the sword had hit the earth there was another surge of dark power and a wall of flames sprang up, leaving the combatants cut off from her and the sword. She looked from the desperate face of Link to the Master Sword, wondering if she could throw it to him through the flames. The tales all said that only the Hero of Time could hold the Master Sword, but if she could... She walked over to the sword and held her hand experimentally over the hilt. Sure enough, she felt a powerful magical force repelling her hand. She could take the sword if she tried, but it would most likely harm her when she grasped it.

Link and Ganon were now circling each other inside the ring. Suddenly, Link threw a Deku nut into the face of the monster, stunning him momentarily. Link ran around behind the monster and took out the hookshot that he had gotten in Kakariko village. Zelda watched in surprise as he shot it at Ganon and the creature howled in pain and black ichor gushed from the wound. Link smiled grimly and Zelda realized what he was doing. The tail was the only unarmored part of the beast, so it was the most vulnerable. The monster could be weakened by attacking the tail as he would lose large amounts of blood from the wounds. She winced as Ganon whirled and swung one of the enormous swords, Link barely rolling out of the way in time. Hopefully it would be enough.

As they fought Zelda felt the magic forming the barrier weaken, finally breaking after a fierce attack from Link. The flames vanished and Zelda called to Link. "Link! The Master Sword is here!" Link turned to look at her. "Hurry up!" Link glanced at his opponent to find him dazed, dizzy from the pain and loss of blood. He ran to Zelda, gasping for air. She watched as he pulled the Master Sword from the ground. "Use the Master Sword! Destroy Ganon with the sacred sword!" He nodded to her with a grim expression and ran back to where his opponent was getting up.

Link fired a light arrow into the monster's face and ran behind him again, slashing at the creature's back and tail. Ganon attacked him again, but he was slowing and weakening. Link hit him twice more in the back before jumping and knocking Ganon in the head with his blade, sending the behemoth crashing to the ground. The earth shook with the force of the impact. Zelda summoned her magic to keep the evil king on the ground.

"Link! I'm using my power to hold the Evil King! You use your sword and deliver the final blow!"

Link nodded to her and raised the Master Sword, bringing the sacred blade down on Ganon's head, nearly knocking the monster unconscious. Zelda decided that he had been weakened enough and called to the Sages who were waiting for her signal. "Six Sages...Now!!"

Power flared around Ganon and he was carried into the air. Rauru's voice echoed through the remains of the tower. "Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil Incarnation of Darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!"

A vortex opened behind Ganon and he was being slowly sucked in. As he vanished he glared at Link and Zelda. "You..." he growled. "CURSE YOU, ZELDA!! CURSE YOU, SAGES!! CURSE YOU...LINK!! Someday...when this seal is broken...that is when I will exterminate your decedents!! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my had...."

The portal closed, cutting off whatever he might have said. Zelda closed her eyes. *It's over...It really is over this time. Oh Sheik...If only you were here....* She took a shaky breath and turned to Link. She knew what she had to do.

"Thank you, Link. Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm! Thus, peace will once again reign in this world...for a time." She paused, remembering Ganon's promises, then continued. "All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing. I was so young...I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm. I dragged you into it, too." She looked into Link's eyes, the eyes of a child who has seen far too much. She took a deep breath. She was doing the right thing. "Now it is time for me to make up for my mistakes. You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time. However, by doing this, the road between times will be closed..." She looked at him sadly and extended her hand. "Link, give the Ocarina to me. As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it." He slowly handed her the Ocarina, and in his eyes she saw hope, something that had been absent from them for too long.

"When peace returns to Hyrule, it will be time for us to say goodbye... Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time. Home..." She looked at him sadly, this child lost in a time and place he knew nothing about, doing things no child should have too. "Where you are supposed to be...the /way/ you are supposed to be..." He nodded and stepped back. She raised the Ocarina of Time to her lips and played the Song of Time. A blue light encircled Link and he slowly vanished, his eyes never reaching her face. She finished the song and stared at the space where he had been standing. Nothing of the Hero of Time remained but a pair of footprints in the dust, already being obscured by the wind. "Thank you, Link...goodbye..."

She knew that around Hyrule the signs of Ganondorf's occupation were vanishing; the redeads crumbling into dust, Zora's domain melting, Death Mountain settling back into its long sleep. And yet...she fell to her knees in the rubble and buried her head in her hands. *I know I did the right thing by sending him back, but....Now I'm alone. I'm all alone.*

~Do not despair, child.~

~Rauru?~ Zelda raised her head in surprise.

~When we opened the Sacred Realm to seal Ganondorf, we found something there.~

~What did you find?~

~Look behind you, child.~

Zelda stood and turned around. Her eyes widened, and she gasped at what she saw. A young man her own age, with messy blond hair falling over one of his gentle red eyes. He was dressed in the blue garb of a Sheikah and he was watching her every move. "Sheik...." she breathed, afraid it was merely a vision and would disappear at any moment. "Sheik...is it...is it really you?" He grinned at her and nodded.

"Yeah, its really me."

"Sheik...oh, SHEIK!!" Zelda ran to him and threw herself into his arms. He caught her and held her close, burying his face in her hair. She cried into his chest. "I thought...I thought...you were dead...I thought I was never going to see you again. He stroked her hair to calm her.

"Shhh...It's alright...I'm right here..."

"But /how/? What happened? Why did you disappear?"

"The last thing I remember is watching the Hero leave the Temple of Time after he awoke. I was about to leave when something hit me from behind. I heard someone laughing and everything went dark. The next thing I remember I awoke in the Chamber of Sages with Rauru standing over me. He told me what was going on, and said that Ganondorf had sealed me into the Sacred Realm using his piece of the Triforce. He waited until you had sent the Hero back to his own time to send be back."

"I'm glad...I missed you so much..."

"I missed you too."

She smiled up at him and he dipped his head to kiss her. She smiled against his lips and sighed. Finally. Hyrule was freed, Sheik was back...things couldn't get any better than this.

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(A/N): Well, that got sappy at the end, didn't it? Sorry if the romance was bad, I'm much better at angst. And there was plenty of it. This fic depressed me as I was writing it! Seriously, this thing wrote itself, I was just trying to keep up with it. And it was about as easy as chasing a speeding car on foot. *rolls eyes* It just wouldn't get out of my head till I wrote it down, and I wrote up writing for almost three days straight, minus class time, eating, and looking up the quotes. The lines from the game were insanely hard to find!! I was going crazy!! Well, I hope you enjoyed this fic, please review and give me your questions or comments. This is being posted to my accounts on Fanfiction.net and Mediaminer.org, but on Mediminer I have a pic of the real Sheik without his mask. So take a look if you haven't yet! Let me know what you think of the pic, too! Woah, sugar rush from that sudden influx of sap. Ja ne, minna-san!