Pitching the FIRST EVER Live-Action Legend of Zelda Film Series: Part 3.2 – Noble Wisdom
After undergoing severe trauma at the hands of Hyrule’s now default King, Ganondorf, both Link and Zelda (albeit under the new guise of a Sheikah warrior, Sheik) have managed to both physically and mentally prepare themselves to regroup and commence their mission to retake Hyrule from Ganondorf’s evil clutches. How will it all turn out? Find out now in Chapter 2 of the third film, the conclusion to the story!
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ACT 1
10 Years Ago
It was a fine morning in Hyrule Castle. In the main hall, two guards were stationed either side of the main door. One of them began to yawn. “Huuuuh. So sleepy. Do I hope the King
walks past here or something, could do with a little bit of excitement in my life”, said one of the guards. Suddenly, the sound of childish laughter could be heard. Both guards turned their heads towards the open door. A most spectacular butterfly flew past them. It had managed to get almost into the middle of the main hall. At that moment, the figure of a little girl ran through the door and past both guards. The golden-haired girl was merely seven winters old and wearing royal attire. She had the most mesmerized smile on her face. “He he. Come back pretty butterfly! Let’s play together!”. The guards both looked at one another and smiled. The playful and cheery presence of the King’s only daughter, Princess Zelda would always bring a smile to their faces. The butterfly proceeded to fly towards one of the windows and exit the main hall. The young princess decided to also exit the main hall to chase the butterfly. “Hey Princess, don’t run too far!”, cried out one of the guards. “Okay Sir, I’ll be back with the butterfly soon, I promise”, replied Zelda before running outside. Despite being a princess, she had always been a polite and well-mannered child, never thinking highly of herself even at such a tender age, thought the guard to himself. “Butterfly! Oh butterfly! I’m going to find you!”, sung the young princess whilst running around in the Castle Courtyard. However, the butterfly was nowhere to be seen. “Oh, I hope it hasn’t just flown away. Butterfly! Where are you?!”. Zelda was looking everywhere until her eyes caught the attention of something in the middle of the courtyard. It was a female figure standing with her back to Zelda. She had prominent blonde hair and was wearing a white dress. Inquisitively, the young Zelda began to approach this mysterious figure. “Who… who are you? Can I help you miss?”. Suddenly, the figure turned around. She looked at the Princess, gave a reserved smile and pointed towards her. “You… You are the one”. With a little worry, Zelda replied: “The.. the one? Me? For what?”. “Hyrule’s fate shall one day rest on your shoulders, young child. You must be ready for that day”. A voice could then be heard from behind. “Zelda! What are you doing out there? Come back sweetheart!”. Zelda turned around in response to see her mother, the Queen. With fear in her face, Zelda ran towards her mother, embracing her tightly. “Mother, a strange lady is standing in the courtyard”. Smiling, the Queen replied, “Zelda your imagination is one of your finest gifts, but don’t use it too much. No one is there”. Zelda turned to see that indeed there was no one there at all. “Now come inside with me child, your papa brought you something special from his trip to Zora’s Domain”. Forgetting the whole incident, Zelda gave a smile and enthusiastically walked back into the castle holding her mother’s hand.
Present Day – Hyrule Field
After a couple of hours of constant walking, Link had finally exited the vicinity of the Lost Woods and arrived at Hyrule Field. By this time, nightfall had creeped up in the sky. “Well, it’s time to get down to business. My time in the forest was memorable, but I’ve gotta put it behind me now and go forth”, said a determined Link to himself. However, although he had been used to venturing into Hyrule Field since he was a young child, this time felt very different. Normally, he would find serenity and tranquillity the moment he would enter the vast plain of the colorful and vibrant field. Not this time. Right now, he could feel tension in the air. Although he couldn’t see much due to the nightfall, he could tell that nature was responding to the perceived dire straits the land probably found itself in. The grass felt drier, the silhouettes of the trees looked thinner and withered. And coupled with the tension in the air, the environment portrayed a strong sense of eeriness. “Damn it. What have you done, Ganondorf?! I swear you will pay for this!”, Link stated with a sad and downbeat tone.
“He he he. Ya heard this little punk?!”. Link turned around to see an intimidating figure standing behind him. It was almost thrice his size, had muscles upon muscles and the face of a boar. “A moblin! Where did it comes from?”, but before Link could probe anymore, the moblin brought out a giant club and took a swipe at Link’s torso. Link managed to jump backwards, but felt himself bump into another figure. He turned around to see another moblin, possibly even larger than the other. “Well, well, well. What have we got here?”. The moblin took a closer look at Link’s face and exclaimed: “I can’t believe it! It’s that small fry Master Ganondorf threw off the cliff some while back! What’s he doing alive anyway?!”. Doing a back-flip away from the moblin, Link taunted: “Well, what can I say? I die hard!”. But what puzzled Link was what two moblins were doing in Hyrule Field anyway. They had almost disappeared from the Land back when Link was a young child. So much so, he’d only heard about them and their descriptions as bedtime horror stories. Curiosity getting to him, Link asked: “What business do overgrown buffoons like you even have here? Weren’t you almost extinct?”. “Ha ha ha. Since Master Ganondorf became King, he performed an ancient ritual during the night of a Blood Moon to resurrect us. And now, we patrol the field, HA HA HA!!”. With that, both moblins began charging at Link. A perfect opportunity to make first use of his Master Sword, he thought. However, the moblins were closing in on him. No matter how strong the Master Sword was, he wouldn’t be able to take down two moblins at once. And at that point, he realized that the wooden shield given to him by Mido would be of no use. Whilst he was trying to figure out what to do, an arrow landed in front of the two moblins and exploded upon impact with the ground, stopping them in their tracks. While the smoke was clearing, Link noticed a figure standing in front of him. One the smoke fully cleared; the figure taunted. “Too persistent to die eh? No matter, your superior warrior stands before you, as your knight in shining armour, he he!”. It was a familiar figure. Those fine, blue wings, yellow beak, but most of all, cocky attitude. It could only be one person. It was his long-term Rito rival, Holu.
“Well well, if it isn’t my favorite bird brain himself. But I guess I’m glad to see you this time. Why don’t we take these overgrown swines down together hey?”. Holu simply taunted; “You mean you need my help eh? Could have said it before he he”. With that, Holu clasped his talons on Link’s tunic collar and lifted him from the ground. “Who does this worthless poultry think he is, interfering with our medal to greatness? We are gonna take him alive to Master Ganondorf. Once he finds out that we brought back the Hylian he unwittingly failed to kill, he will reward us handsomely!”, declared one of the moblins. With that, he threw his club in the air towards Link and Holu. Link finally brought out the Master Sword and batted it away. The moblin gasped. “How… how did your sword manage to block my powerful club?”. With a cheeky grin, Link stated: “Well, you’re about to find out the hard way. NOW HOLU!!”. Holu brought out his bow and showered the area surrounding the moblins with bomb arrow. “Arrggh, I can’t see anything. Damn that pathetic winged freak!”. Holu then dropped Link into the smoke. All that could be heard was the sounds of moblin screams and the sword piercing their skin. Once the smoke had cleared, Link was standing over two bloodied and slashed moblin bodies. “Now, my dear Holu, THAT is how you prove you’re the superior warrior”, said a smug Link. In response, Holu merely snarled: “Like I said before, you required my assistance. Big deal that you got the kills. But tell me, what are you doing alive? It was spread all over the Land that the knight with the blonde hair was killed by Ganondorf himself. Clearly no one taught that pompous brute about confirming his kill”. Link replied: “Well, it’s kinda a long story, and you wouldn’t even believe half the things in it,
but it’s time I caught up on over six months of what the hell happened here?” With an expression mixed with anger and sorrow, Holu replied: “Well, since the day you supposedly died, Ganondorf took over Hyrule’s throne and life hasn’t been the same. Many of his Gerudo have infested Castle Town like ants, where the Hylians live under a dictatorship. Anyone who displays the slightest of dissent towards His Holiness Red-Head Maniac, they are “made an example of”. And since he resurrected the Moblin race, he used them to take over other places, such as Death Mountain and Zora’s Domain. Only one place remains safe, Rito Village, and we are harboring many escapees from Hyrule Castle Town”. With his heart pounding and his teeth chattering with nerves, Link blurted three words: “And the Princess?”. It seemed like an eternal wait, but Holu responded: “No one knows. The day Ganondorf took over, she disappeared. No one knows her whereabouts”. For some reason, it brought Link a sense of relief. Surely, he thought, had something happened to her at Ganondorf’s hands, he would have made a whole commotion out of it. The fact that such a commotion had not come to pass, it gave him hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, Princess Zelda was out there. Somewhere. But then it hit him. The well-being of his family. His parents and younger sister. “Well Holu, I would love to stick about and chat, but I gotta see if my family are in trouble”. Holu responded: “Now wait just a second. The farmlands where your parents live are crawling with moblins. You think you will just waltz back home and the moblins will stand by and let you have a touching family reunion? They will ambush you and turn you to mush before you even know how your family are doing”. Vexed, Link replied: “Well I gotta help my family, whatever it takes!”. If you’re so insistent, then take this”. Holu opened up the bag strapped to his side, took out something and threw it into Link’s hands. It looked like the head of a moblin, but with everything that is supposed to be inside of the head all taken out. “Here’s is a moblin facepiece. Will kill two birds with one stone for you. Not only will your identity be kept safe, but all moblins will see you as another moblin and treat you as such”. Fascinated and confused at the same time, Link inquired: “How did you get your hands on something as supposedly cool as this?”. With a smile, Holu replied: “Well, the Rito Chieftan is good friends with a Sheikah who comes from a long line of moblin hunters. They used to make and wear these masks to maximize their hunting potential. Those Sheikah have many tricks up their sleeves that they don’t disclose to anyone, but nonetheless, the Rito Chieftan got a whole batch of these masks and gave them to all Rito citizens should we be forced to travel anywhere by land. However, I don’t need mine as I go everywhere by wing, so I’ll be a nice guy and lend you this. But don’t think this means I like you or think you’re a better fighter than me. You owe me a debt now”. With that, Holu levitated in the air and flew off. Belatedly, Link bellowed: “Thanks. This better not be fowl play!”. Holu turned around and bellowed: “Six months and your pun game is as abysmal as ever”. With that, Link began to make haste for his home farm.
Hyrule Field Farm: Sector E
After a walk of one hour, Link finally reached his home farm. The entrance was guarded by a moblin. “If Holu isn’t playing some sort of sick prank on me and this facepiece works, I can easily walk into the farm, but I don’t want to create a fuss right now. I first need to check if my family is safe”. With that, Link quietly went behind one of the stables and found a back entrance where he would sneak out of as a child to play with the kids from other farm sectors. Seeing the place empty, Link made his way through the back entrance and into the stable. Again, there were no moblins inside. However, staying aware of his surroundings,
Link quietly made his way to the door and had a peak outside. He looked towards the centre of the farm. There, he could see what looked like a bonfire. Sitting around this bonfire were a group of four moblins. All of them seemed to be having the time of their lives. Laughing, joking and waving their arms into the air. With a look of disdain, Link muttered to himself: “Scum. The lot of them. They’re gonna be sorry once I’ve gotten my hands on them”. He then looked towards the ranch where his family residence was. He could see his bedroom window. “I just need to get inside the ranch and see what is what”. With that, Link quietly sneaked out of the stable, walked to under his window whilst crouching on his knees. Once he had gotten close, he brought out his hookshot, shot it to just under his window and levitated upwards to it. Whilst hanging off of the ledge, he brought out the Master Sword and began carving around the border of the window. Knowing that this was no ordinary sword, he thought that it would come in handy in this situation. And right he was, the sword had easily cut through the window glass. Gently, Link pushed the glass forward and let it slowly land on the table inside the room. With that, Link climbed through the window and into his room. “Goodness me, am I glad to be back in my domain. I’ve never been away from here more than a few days, even whilst training in the Knight’s Academy. But it looks exactly the same as I left it. No one has been in here”. However, his thoughts were interrupted. He could hear the sound of a young girl crying. “Shut up ya little brat!! Unless you wanna starve for the next three days, ha ha ha!”. Link clenched his fist. His teeth were gritted. It was the sound of his little sister being shouted down by a moblin. He had no other desire but to storm into his sister’s room, take out his Master Sword and tear that moblin limb from limb. But he had to be careful. Any move out of emotion would endanger his sister’s life. He had to behave rationally. “OK Holu, this better work”. With that, Link took out the Moblin facepiece given to him by Holu, put it over his head and made his way to his sister’s room. He got to the door. His heart was pounding, hand was shaking as he was about to grip the doorknob. This had to work. For his sister’s sake. With a deep breath, Link opened the door of his sister’s room. There he saw his sister, sitting in the corner of the room, clasping her knees in her arms and tears coming out of her eyes. Standing near her was a moblin, with a mischievous look. The moblin turned towards Link. Internally, Link was shaking, this was the moment of truth. Would the disguise work? He was about to find out. “He he he. What does a midget such as yourself want here? Go back to head-hunter. He’ll find something more useful for you”. Link breathed a sigh of relief. Clear evidence the face-piece worked. “Midget eh? I’ll show you what a midget is hehe. But ya need to go back to head-hunter now. You’re gonna want to see what’s about to happen at the middle of the farm”. Showing a hint of excitement, the moblin replied: “I wanna go, but I’ve been tasked with keeping an eye on this little brat here and watching her whine. I’m sick and tired of her incessant moaning”. With that, Link replied: “Doncha worry. You go along, I’ve got something to stop her whining”. Link then slightly lifted his sword from its sheath. The moblin smiled even more brightly. “Ah I see. But doncha go killing her yet. Head-hunter wants to keep her alive a little bit more. But I would love to stick around and see how you bring her in line, he he”. The moblin then left the room, and in turn, the building. Link turned towards his sister. He could see the terror in her eyes. Tears strolling down her cheeks. “P… please… d…don’t hurt me. I…I’m scared”. Link walked up to her and knelt down. She pushed back into the wall even more, turned her head and closed her eyes, expecting something awful to come over her. With raw emotion about to overwhelm him, Link stated: “You… you don’t need to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you”. Link then removed his face-piece. “It’s me Aryll. Link. Your big brother is back”. Aryll opened her eyes and turned her head towards Link. She gave out a
loud gasp. Even more tears came out of her eyes. “B… big brother? You’re… you’re alive?” “Yes, and no one will ever hurt you again”. With that, Aryll jumped into Link’s arms and hugged him tightly. She was now crying loudly. Link, too, had tears flooding down his cheeks. “Where did you go brother? Why did you leave us? We thought you had died”. Crying even more, Link replied: “It… it doesn’t matter Aryll. I’m back now. And I will never, ever leave you again”. Both brother and sister embraced and cried in each other’s arms for what seemed like ages. Eventually, both composed themselves and let go of one another. Drying his tears, Link asked Aryll: “What happened here while I was gone? Where are mama and papa?”. With a sad face, Aryll replied: “Since that nasty Ganondorf became King, he sent these horrible pig monsters to all the farms. And now, everyone who used to work in the farm are being forced to become slaves of these pig monsters, making them food all day and night whilst they sit around and treat us badly. That’s what they’re doing with mama and papa right now. They are being forced to make them night time food outside”. Clenching his fist, Link stated: “Well I hate to break it to them, but their days of endless food from slave labor is about to come to an abrupt end. I’m going to show them who’s boss!”. Agitated, Aryll replied: “I wanna come with you too big brother”. Link then knelt down to his sister. Smilingly, he put his hand on her head and replied: “I know you want to be my little Linkle, but it’s not safe for you. I’ve got a plan, but I need you to stay here. I promise that very soon, everything is going to be good again”. Aryll then smiled back. “OK big brother, now go and take those pig monsters down!”. Link then exited the room and the ranch.
Link made his way towards the bonfire where the moblins were sitting around. He switched his eyes towards the right. There they were, his mother and father. Both looked completely worn out with trepidation on their faces. Behind them was another moblin with his club aimed at them. Link fixated his eyes back towards the other moblins sat around the bonfire. Next to the moblins stood a massive boar. Supposedly used as a mode of transport for at least one of these moblins. Once Link moved close enough to them, the moblins figured that someone was approaching them. Immediately, they picked up their clubs, stood up and turned towards Link. “Looks like Master Ganondorf sent another body here. But why such a short fry he he”. Link replied: “A short fry eh? Well, aren’t y’all gonna be surprised when this short fry becomes the kingpin of this ranch!”. The moblins all looked at each other in shock. Suddenly, they collectively burst into laughter. “AH HA HA HA! Who does this shrimp think he is? Walks into here and mutters that this ranch is his now? Ha ha ha. Go back to Hyrule Field and feed on rabbits like the lower class moblin you are!”. Link responded: “OK, I will do just that. All that needs to happen is that whoever the head-hunter here is needs to beat me in a race”. With that, one of the moblins stepped forward. Clearly, he was the head-hunter moblin, given his size as compared to the rest. “This little upstart is a funny one. Looks like he’s bored out of his mind which is why he has nothing better to do and give me such a foolish challenge. He’s probably forgotten only the best moblins like myself can ride on boars…”, but Link interrupted: “Oh you can have your boar. All I need is one of the horses from the stable to beat you”. The head-hunter moblin smiled and stated: “Actually, I’m kinda bored as well. Fine, you can have your little race around the farm. But when I win, should you stay here for even a second longer, you will face death at the hands of my club. But if by some miracle, you win, then we shall all leave and the farm is yours alone”. Link replied: “You have yourself a deal”. The head-hunter moblin signalled at one of the other moblins, who went to one of the stables. It then came out dragging something along. It was a horse, walking in a restless and agitated manner. It was Epona, Link’s childhood steed.
Both the head-hunter moblin and Link walked towards Epona, who was stood with the other moblin at the border of the farm. Link gave a glance towards his parents. His mother gave a face of worry, while his father returned a stern and angry expression. Again, every fiber of Link’s being was urging him to charge at the moblin stood next to them and slice it into pieces along with the rest of the moblins and immediately free his parents. But he knew he had to stick to his plan. Link reached to Epona’s side, when the moblin said: “What is with this stupid horse? It does nothing we tell it to”. However, the moment Link put his hand on Epona, it immediately calmed down. Its face relayed tranquility. Astounded, the head-hunter moblin, who had mounted on its boar remarked: “Strange horse. How could a moblin be able to tame it with such ease?”. After mounting Epona, Link replied: “Ready when you are, stupid face!”. The head-hunter moblin gave a snarl. The other moblin put his arm in the air. Suddenly, it dropped and it shouted: “GO!”. Both Link and the head-hunter moblin began riding on their respective racing animal. “Wow, I never knew a boar could be this fast”, Link thought to himself. However, he had been riding Epona for over a decade. And those rides had included many races with other farm children, and even adults. He brought his head close to Epona and whispered: “Now, like all our races before, let’s show them who’s boss”. With that, Epona charged with the speed of a Goron rolling down Death Mountain. It comfortably overtook the head-hunter moblin and zoomed around the border of the farm. In no time at all, Link and Epona completed the whole round of the farm and stood victorious. All the other moblins looked in complete shock. Once the head-hunter moblin reached the finish line, Link, still mounted upon Epona, went up to the head-hunter moblin and boasted: “I just made you eat my dust in complete humiliation. A deal is a deal. This is my farm now. You and your pals can clear off”. Laughing, the head-hunter moblin replied: “You really think us moblins have an honour code? Ha ha ha. The only one to clear off will be you… from this world!”. The head-hunter moblin brought out his club. Link replied: “I thought you’d say that, pig face”. Whilst the head-hunter moblin was bringing its arm back ready to swing its club, Link quickly got out his bow and shot an arrow right into the moblin’s stomach. “AAAAHHHHHHHH”, screamed the head-hunter moblin, clutching its stomach and crouching downwards. Link then brought out the Master Sword and with one slash, decapitated the moblin, who’s body immediately exploded into smoke. Link then rode back towards the center of the farm where the rest of the moblins stood. They had terror and confusion on their faces. Once Link reached to them, he pulled Epona’s harness backwards, causing the horse to lift its front legs and give off a loud noise. Link brought out his Sword and pointed it into the air. “This is your cue. Leave my newly acquired farm, or meet the same fate as your head-hunter, your heads severed from your shoulders!”. Terrified, one of the moblins replied: “Y…yeah… whatever you say, new master of the farm”. Upon this, the moblins turned around and ran towards the exit gate of the farm. Link kept his eyes fixated upon them, until they could no longer be seen. He then unmounted off of Epona and turned towards his parents. His mother, Leila, looked petrified. Landon then stood in front of her and took out a pitchfork. “D… don’t you come any closer you beast. Or I will stab you”. “MAMA, PAPA… WAIT!!”. The sound was coming from the ranch, from where Aryll could be seen running towards them. “It’s not what it looks like, I… I can explain”, stated a nervous Link. He began walking towards his parents. For a moment, Landon lowered his pitch fork and had a calmer face. Suddenly, both his parents began looking curious. It looked as if their attention was being drawn to something supposedly behind Link. It wasn’t long before Link himself picked up on it. He was on the verge of looking behind him when suddenly, he felt something smash into his right cheek with incredible
force. The force was so strong, it made him tumble to the ground and roll a few times. He heard his parents give out a shriek. Once he stopped rolling, he opened his eyes. “Another piece of vermin at my feet to put down”. Link realised a figure was stood beside him. It was dressed in purple and white attire and its face was obscured by a white scarf covering the chin and mouth and a white turban covering most of the hair. “Now, you too shall meet your end at the hands of Sheik!”.
Sheik put out her hands and shot out a beam of light needles at Link. This prompted Link to roll sideways to dodge the light needles. Immediately, he stood up and brought out his Forest Shield and Master Sword. “Watching me humiliate those Moblins got you itching for a piece of me huh? Well, bring it on!”. With that, Link charged at the new intruder and aimed multiple slashes. However, Sheik dodged them all with panache and elegance. She then aimed a rapid kick at Link’s midriff, causing him to fall backwards. “Who might you be anyway? Come to think of it, that emblem on your armor looks very similar to the Sheikah eye. Now I get it, you’re a remnant of the now-defunct Legion of the Sacred Eye! Joined Ganondorf’s camaraderie I assume?”. Sheik simply replied: “Your speech is muffled, but I know we are not of the same side. Which is why like your filthy brethren, I will do away with you”. Sheik charged at Link and aimed a succession of rapid punches and then tripped him to the ground. Elsewhere, both Leila and Landon ran several meters away from where the scuffle was occurring and Leila quickly grabbed Aryll into her arms. Worried, Landon exclaimed: “Something is off about this little moblin. What is going on”. He looked down at Aryll, who to his utter confusion, had a loving smile on her face. “Just you wait papa, you will see”. He was even more confused, however, he fell silent and continued to observe the fight occurring in front of him. Sheik then got out the Bow of Light. Link looked in bemusement. That bow looked like it had come from the weapon depot of the castle. What was it doing in the hands of a rebel Sheikah he thought? But given Sheikah was probably allied with Ganondorf, it had probably been given by Ganondorf himself and was using it to be his bounty hunter, at least that’s what it was looking like. Sheik then shot an arrow straight at Link, who managed to block it with his Forest Shield. He stood up once again and brought out his own bow to shoot arrows back at Sheik. Again, the supposed Sheikah was dodging each shot. However, one of these arrows exploded in mid-air, emitting a large amount of smoke. Link charged into the smoke and aimed multiple slashes. One of these seemed to hit Sheik, given that a loud shriek could be heard. Link got out his Megaton Hammer and swung it horizontally, sending Sheik flying to the side and rolling on the ground a number of times. “Bomb arrows, courtesy of Holu. Time for you to taste fresh steel”. Link was approaching a grounded Sheikah with Master Sword in hand. “I… I will never give in to a despicable disciple of that cursed Ganondorf!”. This puzzled Link. This latest statement from Sheik poured cold water all over his assertion that Sheik was in association with Ganondorf. “Listen, I’m no Ganondorf stooge. My aim is to end that conniving brute and put him in his place…”, but with rage in her eyes, Sheik bellowed: “Enough of your silver-tongued lies! You are going to die!”. With that, Sheik shot out a barrage of light needles. Link managed to dodge the vast majority of them, however, a small number reached his head. They all hit his Moblin face-piece, slicing it into pieces. The face-piece fell right off of Link’s head, revealing his face. Sheik’s eyes opened up as wide as Lake Hylia. Both Leila and Landon gasped. Leila’s eyes filled with tears. “L…Link, a…alive?”. Aryll smiled even wider. “See mama, I told you”. However, Link’s face became sterner. He gripped the Master Sword even harder. “OK then, you’ve rid me of my mask. You may not be Ganondorf’s lackey, but you’re a Legion member
nonetheless, and now, I’m going to end this”. He began to charge at Sheik with all his might. Immediately, Sheik stood up and lifted both hands into the air. “NO, WAIT!!”. Instinctively, Link stopped. “Your distraction tactic won’t work…”, but he was promptly interrupted. “Link, please stop! Please!!”. What was going on here, Link thought to himself. “Fine, you’ve caught my attention. Now explain, how do you know my name?”. “Link, neither am I any apologist for Ganondorf, nor do I have anything to do with the Legion of the Sacred Eye. Contrary to my statement from before, we are on the same side”. Skeptical, Link replied: “Well then, who are you”. Sheik replied: “Time to end this charade”. With that, Sheik took a few steps back. She brought out both arms in front of her and started moving them in random direction. When she stopped, a Sheikah symbol appeared on her forearm. Suddenly, Sheik’s body glowed a blinding silver. White smoke began to emit around Sheik. Link merely stared at this smoke for the duration it was present. However, his line of sight was distracted when out of the smoke, a white turban and scarf were seen rolling on the ground. Once the smoke began to clear, Link could make out a figure. It looked like a female. Once the smoke cleared completely, Link got a much better view of the figure. There was something very familiar about it. It donned a long, pink and white dress with a spectacular cape. Even more familiar were the thick, bronze bangles on her arms, a red ruby on the person’s forehead, but most familiarly, shining green eyes like emeralds, glistening golden hair and an extremely friendly smile. Then it dawned upon him. “No way… it’s you. Zelda… you’re alive!!”. With a slight laugh, Zelda replied: “Dear me, how I’ve longed for the day I could rid myself of that dreadful attire”.
Link was stunned. He stood there, completely motionless. The mere sight of the Princess in normal times was enough to make his eyes light up. The fact that after all he had been through, not knowing if she was alive or dead, what state she was in, he felt overwhelmed. It seemed surreal that she stood right before him, with that same happy and melancholic expression. “Z… Zelda, how did you get away from Ganondorf?”. Smiling, Zelda replied: “Well, I can ask you the exact same question, silly. Ganondorf impaled you and threw you off that cliff right before my eyes. I… I was sure you were dead. How could you have survived all that?”. With a cheeky grin, Link replied: “Well Princess, I guess you don’t know your Kingdom as well as you thought you did, at least some of the people who inhabit it”. He then walked up to Zelda and gripped one of her hands. “All that matters is that we’ve found one another, alive and well”. Zelda began to blush. She didn’t want to show it, but her eyes clearly displayed relief and joy that she had discovered her dear friend still alive. She then looked into Link’s eyes. “Link… there’s something I really need to know”. Feeling his heart pulse, all sorts of thoughts crossed his minds. Was this the moment he’d been waiting for? Were his feelings about to be reciprocated finally, after all this time? “Tell me, Princess. What is it that you would like to say?”. Suddenly, Zelda began to laugh. Her laughter started subtle. It then became more and more intense. Then she spoke: “Where on Earth did you get such ridiculous mask from? And why were you fighting wearing that, ha ha ha ha!!”. Clearly vexed, Link let go of Zelda’s hand and took a few steps back. Putting his hand on his hip, he replied: “Very funny indeed, Princess! I’ll have you know that mask was my disguise to fool the moblins who were running riot here. Besides, I would have thought you’d know all about it, given you were masquerading around wearing the clothes of the people who made that mask!”. Zelda’s laughter suddenly petered out into her own vexed facial expression. “You really had to mention that Sheikah clothing of mine, didn’t you? Well, when you decided to go on your cliff-diving expedition, I was left at the mercy of Ganondorf,
but in the nick of time, Impa, the ex-prisoner came and saved me and we both went into hiding. In that time, Impa trained me to become a Sheikah warrior. Although Impa’s training had many advantages and made me strong enough to be able to defend myself and prepare for an assault on Ganondorf, the truth is, I hated every minute of being that person. A facade I had to implement as a necessity. And in truth, I felt as if I was losing site of who I truly am. The Princess of Hyrule”. With a smile, Link replied: “Well, you no longer have to take the fight to Ganondorf alone. I am here, and I will be by your side”. Link then pointed to his parents and sister: “Now, back when we first met, I did ask you to one day come and visit my farm. I guess fate has a funny way of making things happen. Meet my parents and my young sister, Aryll”. Both Link’s parents immediately knelt down in respect. “We are indeed privileged and honored to be graced by your presence, Your Highness”. Aryll simply looked starstruck. Smiling and blushing at the same time, Zelda replied: “Now now, please don’t feel the need to be so formal. I’m just a girl like you, who longs to see all of my people happy”. Zelda was about to make her way towards Aryll when suddenly, the ground began to shake. Link began to look left and right. Zelda then stated: “Link… I… I can’t move”. Suddenly, a ball of energy materialized around Zelda, lifting her into the air.
“Zelda! What… what’s going on!”, exclaimed a troubled Link. He felt a presence behind him. Upon turning around, he saw a black horse with crimson hair donning grey armor. Upon this horse was sitting what looked a very familiar figure. That black and brown armor, imposing physique. With a trident, it was pointing towards Zelda, who was trapped in the ball of energy. Instinctively, Link brought out his Master Sword. “Ganondorf! Finally, you show yourself. Face me! And let the Princess go”. However, something was a little amiss. The face of this intruder was covered with what looked like a skull with large horns. Without a word, this new figure stepped off its horse and started moving around in mid-air. The top of its trident began to glow. The glow turned into another ball of energy. It shot towards Link. Again, in line with his instincts, Link brought out his sword and slashed at the ball of energy, directing it back towards his adversary. The ball of energy hit the opponent head-on, causing him to fall to the ground. With a smile, Link boasted: “Well, Ganondorf… looks like I’m no longer the kid whom you so easily swatted aside. Give up and release Hyrule from your tyranny at once!”. However, the figure did not respond. It merely brought out its hand and pointed it towards Zelda. The ball of energy and Zelda suddenly disappeared without trace. In absolute distress, Link screamed: “ZELLLDAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!”. With pure rage overtaking him, Link charged at the supposed Gerudo King. “GANONDORF!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ZELDA!! YOU WILL PAYYYYY!!!”. He started slashing the figure with zest and viciousness. It was attempting to block Link’s blows with its trident, but was struggling to keep it up. Eventually, it succumbed and Link impaled it three times and then sliced off its head. The head rolled on the ground and the skull which was cover its face fell off. Link looked in astonishment. The face was not of Ganondorf at all. In fact, there was no face at all, just a complete blank head with no features. Suddenly, the face, the body and the horse all exploded into red smoke. This was followed by the sound of sinister laughter: “HA HA HA HA HA”. The laugh was all too familiar to Link. The smoke then began to take the shape of a human head. Instantaneously, Link recognised whose head this was. “Well well, you’re pretty persistent for a snivelling Hylian, being able to best one of my manufactured phantoms. But I guess I shouldn’t be all too surprised. Such resilience to cheat certain death can only be attributed to someone whom I trained”. With a stern face, Link replied: “No. Don’t think you have that leverage over me. What have you done to Zelda?” Smirking, the
smoke apparition of Ganondorf replied: “Oh don’t you worry. I’m not going to kill someone whom I have searched tirelessly for so quickly. Although she made a foolish miscalculation in discarding her disguise like that. My phantoms were ready for the time she decided to reappear. But as the King of Hyrule, my duty is to be generous to my people. So, here’s a little bit of generosity, I will give you the chance to come to the castle to take back your precious Princess, that is… if you still have your courage, he he”. That comment hit Link pretty hard, given that it was a subtle taunt by Ganondorf regarding the Triforce of Courage. But he knew that he had no other choice. He had to go to the castle, knowing full well that this was no show of generosity from Ganondorf, it was a trap. “Don’t you worry. I will be there, I will save Zelda, and I will put you to the sword!!”. “Time is ticking boy… ha ha ha!!”. With that, the smoke disappeared.
Link re-sheathed his Master Sword and began rushing towards the exit of the farm. “Link wait!!”, shouted his mother, Leila. Link stopped and ran towards his family. “Link, I know how much you care for the Princess and that you would do anything to ensure her safety. But my son, please think rationally. That snake Ganondorf is setting a trap. He knows you will come to the Castle to save the Princess, and he will use your emotions to his advantage”, stated his worry-stricken father Landon. With tears coming from her eyes, Leila added: “After believing you to be dead for so long, it’s like a dream come true that you have returned to us, alive and well. Please… don’t let him take you from us again, please son, I beg you”. Link’s emotions were once again bubbling up. All this time he was in Kokiri Forest, he felt the pain of being separated from his family. But what hurt him the most was of the pain and misery they must have felt at believing him to be dead all this time. Gone. Never to return. And now that they had him back, the horror they would be feeling upon the prospect of losing him again so soon after his return from the dead. “Mama… Papa… I understand. I understand how frightening this must be for you. But… but if I don’t do this… who will? Ganondorf will continue to tighten his grip upon Hyrule. If he takes the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda, he will be unstoppable, and then… how will I protect you all? No one will be able to stand against him. And… and I can’t let such a fate befall us”. With both parents beginning to understand the magnitude of the situation, Landon inquired: “But Link… how do you ever hope of defeating such a brute?”. Link then gave a smile and brought out the Master Sword. “Doncha worry, you don’t think I’d be charging in without a plan, do you? In fact, it was a plan I’ve discussed in length with our ancestor!”. Both Landon and Leila gave a very confused expression. “Ah don’t worry about that. Once I’ve saved the Land, I’ll tell y’all about it!”. His parents then smiled and Leila stated: “Well, raising you up all these years, I should know better shouldn’t I? Once you’re set upon something, there’s no talking you out of it. You’ve always fought for what you’ve wanted and achieved the impossible throughout your life, and the fact you are standing before us is a testament to that. And that makes me certain that you will bring Ganondorf down. So, go on my boy, go and give Ganondorf hell!”. Link replied: “Sure I will. I promise, I will come back, my status as Hyrule’s greatest knight confirmed, once and for all!”. He then brought out his whistle, causing Epona to gallop towards them. He mounted upon Epona and begun to ride off. “DO IT FOR US, BIG BROTHER!!”, Aryll exclaimed from behind. Link looked back and gave a wave. He was approaching the exit of the farm when suddenly, he heard a voice. “HOOOOOT! Just a minute!!”. Link stopped in his tracks. He looked at the tree from which the voice came from. Sitting on one of the branches was a familiar face. A larger than usual owl. It was Kaepora Gaebora. “Hmmm, long time no see Link, you look in a hurry!”. With slight
irritation, Link replied: “Look Gaebora, I’m thankful for you returning my keep back in the forest, but now isn’t a good time for a catch-up. I’ve got to confront Ganondorf. The Princess and the whole of Hyrule are depending on me”. Kaebora Gaebora replied: “Not like that you’re not. You may have a mighty sword at your disposal to give you a formidable offence, but with a shield such as that, your defence leaves a lot to be desired”. He had a point, Link thought to himself. The Kokiri Shield he had was only really any good for sparring. Any serious combat, it wouldn’t last longer than one blow, leaving him wide open for attacks. “Well then Owl, I guess you would know all about defence, wouldn’t you?”, taunted a cheeky Link. “More than you would know kid. Which is why you might have some interest in a little gift I’ve left you next to the tree”. Link immediately mounted off Epona and approached the tree. Leaning at the trunk of the tree was a Hylian Shield. He quickly picked it up and put it on his back. Inquisitively, Link stated: “As thankful as I am to you, what really interests me is how an Owl managed to get it’s talons on such an object”. Kaepora Gaebora replied: “I guess you can say I’m just someone determined to help the one to save this Kingdom along his way. Especially when this saviour still has a few things to learn before becoming the best knight in the Land. I know you are impulsive, but exercising a little restraint in battle would be most beneficial to you”. Link mounted back onto Epona. “Well, thanks for the free advice, but how do you know about my fighting style and impulses?”. Link looked back towards the branch, however, the Owl had vanished without trace. He looked in the sky and saw it flying away into the distance. “Something is really off about that Owl. How does it know so much, especially about me?”. Knowing that he couldn’t dwell too much, he commenced his journey towards Hyrule Castle. Although Castle Town would be full of Gerudo keeping the innocent citizens subjugated, there was no time for stealth. He had to charge right through with Epona. Any Gerudo to get in his way would simply have to answer to his Sword. Epona galloped across Hyrule Field. Many a moblin saw him and try to mount attacks, however, courtesy of his bomb arrows, he managed to keep them at bay. Finally, he reached the main gate of Castle Town. There stood two Gerudo. Both took one look at him and pointed their spears. “And who might you be, voe? You must have a death wish, shamelessly making your way like you own this place”. In no mood for any nonsense whatsoever, Link brought out his Master Sword and glared back. “Look, you lackeys of Ganondorf, your leader is the one who invited me to the Castle. If you don’t let me through, I will eliminate you both. Now, step aside”. However, both guards charged up towards Epona, but Link unmounted, brought his arm back and then swung in a circle, causing the Gerudo to retreat with haste. “As… as you wish. Go on through”, stated one of them. Link remounted upon his steed and galloped into Castle Town. Many Gerudo patrolling the town looked on in astonishment as he charged through. He spotted quote a few familiar faces, town folk he had come across whilst training with the Knights Academy. As expected, they looked like they had been living under a military martial law of sorts. As a knight-in-training, he had learnt about such a potential scenario, however, he had also learnt that such an event had never come to pass in Hylian history. But Ganondorf, being the military leader when he was masquerading as General Fronagond, had in a way legally imposed a martial law of sorts. Also, given that the Golden Medallion had made him the de facto King of Hyrule, he had absolute power over the Land. And that was not even taking into account him owning two pieces of the Triforce, Power and Courage, and being within possible minutes of completing the set. These thoughts made him push Epona to gallop even faster towards the Castle. Finally, he made it. Back to Hyrule Castle. Familiar surroundings, but
with different personnel in charge. He unmounted off Epona and approached the front entrance. This was it. He knew, the fate of Hyrule was now solely on his shoulders.
Hyrule Castle Throne room
Zelda slowly opened her eyes. She felt like most of her energy had been zapped away from her. Looking around at her surroundings, she realised that both of her arms were tied to two pillars either side of her. She saw two Gerudo standing next to each of these pillars, pointed their spears at her, viciously smirking in the process. “He he, the sleeping princess finally awakens”, one of them snarled. She looked straight ahead to see a sight she had been used to all her life. The Hylian throne. However, what was not familiar was the one occupying the throne. Not the benevolent and warm persona of her father, the late King Daphnes, but the sinister figure of his killer. The Gerudo Chief, now the King of Hyrule, Ganondorf. In the flesh. “You made me wait a long time, Zelda. You were more cunning than I ever believed, he he. Masquerading in that pathetic disguise. But… as destiny has ordained, the entire Triforce is to be mine. Therefore, it was destined that I would find you once again and bring you before me”. With anger in her eyes, Zelda sharply responded: “Try as you might… even if you were to kill me like you killed my father, I have no Triforce for you… your search is in vain”. Ganondorf stood up from the throne, turned to one of his Gerudo guards and nodded. Smiling, he replied: “Well, my dear Zelda, let’s put this theory to the test, shall we?”. One of the doors at the side of the throne room opened. A Gerudo emerged, dragging in what looked like a prisoner. Zelda looked towards the newcomers. She began to panic. The prisoner being brought in was someone very familiar to her. “No! She’s just one of Castle maids. She has nothing to do with this… please let her go!”. Ganondorf simply mocked: “Ha, you think you’re still in charge here Zelda!? Know your place, you wretch!… Now, give me the Triforce of Wisdom, or this maid dies!!!”. In a state of determination and empathy, Zelda replied: “I beg you, please Ganondorf… please let her go! In fact, kill me. I’m ready to die if you let her go!”. The maid, sobbing and terrified, replied: “No, my Princess… it’s OK… I…”, but she was cut off by Ganondorf. “You would really give your life to save such an insignificant worm? How pitiful, he he he”. Zelda confidently replied: “I am ready to give my life for anyone of my people. It’s OK, I won’t let him hurt you”. Ganondorf smirked and stated: “Very well, it shall be so”. He walked right up to Zelda and brought out his sword. In readiness for her life to cease, Zelda gave a smile, one last smile in her view and closed her eyes. She felt the sound of flesh being pierced. However, it was not hers. She opened her eyes. One of the Gerudo guards had impaled the maid straight through the chest. After bringing the spear back out, the maid’s bloodied and lifeless body fell to the ground. “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”, screamed a massively distressed Zelda. She began to cry loudly. Ganondorf laughed: “HA HA HA, you really believed I would let you go that easily? How unbelievably foolish! You…”, but he was abruptly cut off. “Curse… you… CURSE YOU GANONDORF!!!”. “That’s it, let it out Zelda and awaken the Triforce piece”, muttered Ganondorf under his breath. “VILE CREATURE!!! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT THE LIVING INCARNATION OF HATRED!!! SELFISH, DERANGED AND A PSYCOPATH!!! DESPISED BY EVERYONE!!! YOU HAVE NO LOVE FOR ANYONE AND NO ONE HAS EVER HAD ANY LOVE FOR YOU!!, exclaimed an enraged and bereaved Zelda. However, for the first time, the confident and arrogant smile had vanished from Ganondorf’s face. It was replaced with what looked like a slight look of regret and a hint of sadness. “You… you are wrong Zelda…”.
20 Years Ago, Gerudo Fortress
“You fish folk seem pretty resilient, he he. Even in the face of certain death, your lips remain sealed”. It was noon at Gerudo Fortress. The race, in its ever-increasing hostility, was making it more of a habit to kidnap, interrogate and torture unsuspecting citizens of the other races of Hyrule. One of these unfortunate souls was brought before the young, but zealous Gerudo King in the Fortress throne room, who’s aim was purely to extract information about the other Hylian races in order to learn of their weaknesses. “I… I, Mikau, am… just a musician. I have nothing of worth to tell you”. With a stoic expression, Ganondorf momentarily turned around. Suddenly, he brought out his sword and stabbed the unfortunate Zora straight through the abdomen. “Well then, you are of no use to me”. Gesturing to some of his guards, he declared: “Take this worthless pile of waste away and dump him back into the ocean, where his fellow fish folk will see him and quake in fear”. The Gerudo guards did just that, taking the almost lifeless body out of the throne room. “Another useless endeavour. Looks like my wait to find a prisoner with any sort of meaningful information goes on”. Suddenly, the main door of the throne room opened. Running into the room was a small figure. A child Gerudo girl, merely five winters old. She had a bright smile on her face. Ganondorf turned to face her. His own face lit up. “Uncle Ganondorf!!!”. She ran straight to Ganondorf, who knelt down and picked her up. “Now, if it isn’t my precious Riju! To what do I owe the pleasure?!”. The young Gerudo replied: “Easy! I missed you, Uncle. You’re always so busy with your work, you never have time to play with me!”. Giggling, Ganondorf replied: “Is that so, young one? Well, how about this. After dusk, we will go into the desert. You and me, alone. Uncle and niece”. With her smile getting even wider, Riju exclaimed: “Oh really? Yeah! I’m so excited!!”. That night, Ganondorf took Riju into the desert next to the Fortress. Two Gerudo guards escorted them both initially, but then stayed behind to leave both uncle and niece alone. Holding her uncle’s hand, Riju walked with Ganondorf in a calm and serene desert. Suddenly, a mild breeze was felt. Riju put out her hand to feel the breeze. With a smile, she stated: “Uncle. The wind…. it is, blowing!”. Ganondorf replied: “Indeed it is, little one. The only time when this breeze feels a soothing cool”. Turning a little serious, Riju asked: “Uncle Ganondorf. Is the world only made of sand and desert?”. “No, Riju. What if I told you that beyond those hills in the distance lies a very different environment? An environment with tall mountains, giant pools of water called lakes, areas full of trees called forests and places of much grass called fields and meadows”. Her smile returning on her face, Riju excitedly replied: “Really? I want to see them! Will you take me?”. Ganondorf stopped walking. He knelt down to his niece and put his hand on her head and said: “Yes Riju. One day, we will all go there. We will all be able to enjoy the breeze of those lakes, the sweet scent of those forests and the wonderful sight of those mountains. I… I promise you, child”.
Hyrule Castle Throne Room, Present Day
“She… she would have been a young lady now”, Ganondorf could be heard saying to himself. Zelda, after her outburst, looked puzzled as the bravado had suddenly simmered down in her oppressor. Ganondorf lifted his eyes towards Zelda and with a strange type of anger, stated: “You… you really think of yourselves as some noble force of good, able to treat whomsoever you please with respect, and whomsoever you please with contempt”.
“I… I don’t understand what you are saying…”, but Zelda was cut off. “OF COURSE, YOU DON’T!!! YOU HYLIANS NEVER HAVE!! WHICH IS WHY YOU SAW US AS SAVAGES, BRUTES, EASY TO BE TROD ON!! Once your self-righteous father thought he had gotten rid of me, your rules of war should have seen you end the war between Hylian and Gerudo. But you low-lives weren’t satisfied!”. Suddenly, one of the side doors opened again. Another prisoner was being dragged in. However, this was someone who looked like a very senior knight, in his 60s. “Captain Garkin?”, inquired Zelda. There was an expression of both fear coupled with guilt etched upon Garkin’s face. “After I returned to Gerudo Fortress following the awakening of my Triforce of Power, what sight was I met with? Everything was looted, pillaged and vandalized”. A feeling of complete horror was beginning to creep up on Zelda. “Your scum knights had raided my home, taken the booty of war by force and murdered anyone who was there… one of those was my beloved niece… my Riju”. In absolute disbelief, Zelda shouted: No… NO!! IT… IT CAN’T BE!! LIAR!!! YOU ARE LYING!!!”. At this, Ganondorf walked up to Captain Garkin and harshly gripped his neck. “Ask this cockroach of a captain of yours. He oversaw it all!”. At this, Garkin began to sob. “It… it is true. Ganondorf speaks the truth”. Zelda’s heart sank. A feeling of complete and utter despair entered her. The Kingdom, the Royal Family, the military, who swore to protect all of Hyrule, was it all a lie? Ganondorf had been regarded as the biggest enemy of Hyrule all this time. But was his rise all on account of vested interests within Hyrule’s Royal Family and administration? In a fit of rage, Ganondorf put Garkin out of his misery and stabbed him through the chest. “It looks like the Triforce will not be revealed by your living. Maybe death is the only way for you”. However, Zelda gave no reply. After hearing of the misdeeds the Hylians committed after the Hylian-Gerudo war, she felt that her death was perhaps destiny’s way of evening the score. Maybe her death was to be the penance on behalf of her people and retribution for the pain Ganondorf had felt all these years. Suddenly, the main room of the throne room opened. Both Zelda and Ganondorf’s heads turned. Two Gerudo guards came flying through the door. A faint sound of footsteps could be heard. These got louder and louder. Then, a figure clad in all green could be seen walking in. “Well well, you decided to show yourself kid”, mocked Ganondorf. The figure was none other than Link. Taking out his Master Sword and Hylian Shield, Link replied: “Since you asked so nicely, how could I not?”
ACT 2
“I have come to free Hyrule of your treachery. Now, I’m giving you one warning, release Princess Zelda, leave Hyrule Castle and take your flamboyant camaraderie with you while you have the chance, Ganondorf!”, declared a very confident Link. Ganondorf looked baffled. This sense of amazement suddenly turned into mocking laughter. “What is this you are uttering, kid? You really think in the situation you find yourself, after everything that has happened, YOU are the one to dictate orders? Stupid boy! Being the King with absolute power, and having put you to the sword once before, to what do you owe this foolish pomposity?”. Smiling, Link replied: “You assumed to have killed me without true verification, and you accuse me of pomposity? All this time, I’ve prepared for this moment, and now, I have brought the tool to bring about your ruin!”. Link quickly pulled out the Master Sword out of its sheath. “An impressive-looking blade, I must admit. However, no matter which sword you wield, never forget who taught you how to use it. Who made you the type of fighter you claim to be today!”. Link then looked over towards Zelda. “Don’t worry Zelda, once I’ve taught this poser a lesson, I’m going to free you”. However, Zelda gave no reaction. Her eyes were looking towards the ground, full of sadness. The revelation from Ganondorf and subsequent admission from the late Captain Garkin had broken her spirit completely. In a low-pitch and dejected tone, she said: “And… and then what? Who will we bring pain to next? We will… will just end up creating another like Ganondorf through our own duplicity”. This unnerved Link. What had suddenly happened to the girl who only knew how to smile? The girl who would lift everyone’s spirit, tell them that hope and positivity were the way to live their lives. Defiantly, Link stated: “Look Zelda, I know not what this creep has said or done to you, but know this. No matter what his drive, his ambition is, does it justify the countless innocent people he has kidnapped, maimed and murdered? Does it justify how he deceived us all these years, only to break our hearts by revealing his true ugliness? Does it justify what he did to your father, what he nearly did to me? And, does it justify what he is doing now?”. Zelda’s eyes opened wide. Her head quickly turned to face Link. “Subjugating the kingdom, making the people live in constant fear? We cannot legislate for the actions of those before us, but we can and must legislate for our own. Many innocent people, children, are depending upon us, and we must stop the one responsible for this misery. Here and now!”. With a sneer, Ganondorf replied: “He he, that’s the first time someone has listed all of my achievements and feats. But Link, I did what I had to do. What destiny had ordained for me. Nothing more, nothing less”. Tightening his grip on the Master Sword, Link replied: “I’ve heard just about enough of your hogwash. Time for me to silence you. Once and for all”. He took one step forward, but suddenly, he heard a voice. “Your… your right, Link. Innocent people should not suffer for our mistakes. To free and protect them, we must put an end to this”. With her serene smile finally resurfacing, Zelda stated. “Link… you are the light… our light… that must shine upon Hyrule once again… now go!”. With that, Link charged at Ganondorf, leaped into the air and whilst landing, aimed a slash towards his foe. Ganondorf brought out his blade and before Link could make
contact, blocked the impact of his Master Sword. With blade on blade, Link and Ganondorf exchanged stern stares.
After a brief sword struggle, Ganondorf used his might to push Link back. “Well well, it’s clear to me that you haven’t just been hiding these past six months kid. You may just give me a hint of a challenge”, mocked Ganondorf. Smiling, Link replied: “Don’t you worry. I will give you much more than that”. Link jumped forward and aimed three slashes, all which Ganondorf blocked with his sword. “One blow, just one blow, and I regain the Triforce of Courage”, Link thought to himself. However, the incumbent ruler of the Land was giving him no openings. Jumping backwards, Ganondorf stated: “I admit, you are not quite the pathetic weakling you were before. But, as a lamb for slaughter, I must put you out of your misery. I don’t want to make you suffer for long, boy”. Ganondorf tightened his right fist. Both a red and green triangle emerged on the fist. One eye turned red and the other green. He had harnessed the power of both Triforce pieces. With sword in hand, Ganondorf charged at Link and aimed a brutal slash. However, Link just about managed to dodge. But it was a very close shave. An already difficult task had become almost impossible. Ganondorf was now so powerful, one clean blow would spell immediate doom. Ganondorf charged at Link again. However, the distance was too small for Link to dodge. He knew he couldn’t use his Hylian Shield to protect him. Ganondorf had shattered that into pieces in their previous encounter with the power of just one Triforce piece. It would have no chance against him now. Link had no choice. Just before Ganondorf’s sword made contact, Link brought out the Master Sword to block the attack. However, to Link’s amazement and relief, the attack was successfully blocked. “What… what is this blade you wield? There’s no way any ordinary sword could block out my power!”, exclaimed Ganondorf. Link replied: “The instrument I will use to take you down. The Sword to seal the Darkness. The Blade of Evil’s Bane!”. Retreating, Ganondorf aimed a powerful kick to send Link flying back. He landed and rolled on the ground for a few seconds, before getting up in haste. “I have no chance of defeating him in one-to-one combat. I can’t even get the one blow that I need on him. Looks like I will once again have to think outside the box”. After a few seconds, Link finally made up his mind. “There’s only a minuscule chance this will actually work. But there’s no other way”, Link said to himself. Ganondorf laughed: “Have you finally realized that your efforts to best me are completely futile?”. Link replied: “The only thing futile here is the continuation of your rule over Hyrule!”. With that, Link charged at Ganondorf with full force. Again, both hit their swords against the other’s. Again, Ganondorf pushed Link back and landed a powerful kick to hit him to the ground. However, before taking the blow, Link made a peculiar move of re-sheathing the Master Sword. He was in a crawling position, looking at the ground with his back turned to the Gerudo Chief. “A vain attempt to do any damage to me. But it seems you have finally come to your senses boy. You’ve realized that even if you trained for a century, you can never stand up to absolute power”. Readying himself to impale Link’s back, Ganondorf stated: “I will say once again, you are the only one I will have remorse of putting down, after all, you were my favourite pupil. With a heavy heart, I say…farewell Link”. Just as Ganondorf’s blade was moving down towards Link’s body, Link gripped his sheathed Master Sword. Instantly, he jumped into a kneeling position, spun around, and in one move, unsheathed his sword and dug it into Ganondorf’s thigh. “AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”, screamed Ganondorf in pain. His impaled leg began to glow green. The green glow transferred to the Master Sword, which began to shine spectacularly. In turn, the glow engulfed Link’s body. He moved the sword out of
Ganondorf’s leg. “You… curse you!”, stated an aggrieved Ganondorf. Link’s eyes turned a familiar green and a familiar green triangle surfaced on his hand. “I… I did it. Farore was right. I’ve regained my Triforce of Courage!!!!”, a jubilant Link exclaimed. Meanwhile, Zelda was still tied up by her arms whilst watching the battle unfold. A sense of relief was etched upon her face witnessing Link regaining the Triforce of Courage. She turned her head to the golden bangle on her right arm. With a smile, she said to herself “I was waiting for the right opportunity to do this. None better than this moment”. With that, a small and sharp object began to emerge out of her bangle.
“Well teach, this was a move you taught me back at the Knight’s Academy. The crouching Mortal Draw. Truth is, it was a huge gamble, but I guess I pulled it off. Now that we’ve evened the playing fields, let’s resume our scuffle”, stated a resurgent Link. With extreme irritation, Ganondorf replied: “You got your little power boost back? No matter. I’ve obliterated you before with it, I will easily do it again”. With both eyes now red, Ganondorf again charged at Link. However, Link felt a very different sensation within his Master Sword. Its green glow was still present. With curiosity, he slashed the air. To his amazement, a green beam shot out of the Master Sword and hit one of the walls, damaging it. With his interest well and truly peaked, Link started slashing at Ganondorf’s direction. Each slash led to beams being shot at the Evil King and each was hitting and hurting him. “WHAT… WHAT IS GOING ON!!! THIS BLADE, WHERE DID YOU GET IT?!!!”, shouted Ganondorf. Link ran up to Ganondorf and landed several hefty blows. Eventually, he managed to block one, but it was apparent that the tables had turned. “Let’s just say… it was given to me by a distant relative”, snarled Link. Link’s energy had been reinvigorated. Even though Ganondorf was blocking his slashes, each one was getting more and more difficult to block. He was struggling to keep up in this battle. “Link! You must end this while you have the chance!!”, shouted Zelda. Link then jumped to the side, rolled behind an exhausted and rattled Ganondorf and jumped up to slash his back. While Ganondorf was reeling from that impact, Link then stabbed him straight through the right side of his chest. Again, Ganondorf screamed in agony. He then knelt to the ground, no longer able to continue the battle. Link removed his sword from Ganondorf’s chest and pointed it to his head that was facing the ground. With a defiant tone, Link stated: “It’s obvious to the both of us that this battle is over, Ganondorf. You are gravely injured. With both the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword in my possession, there’s no way you can stand up to me now. Your crimes against Hyrule are unspeakable, but you were once my teacher, my mentor and like a second father. I loved you as such as well. So, as someone who felt that way, I implore you, please leave Hyrule Castle. Return to the desert and get help. We still just want peace”. After what seemed like an eternity of eerie silence, a subtle but noticeable laughter could be heard. “He he he… what… what an incredible fighter you’ve become boy… nothing less than I would expect from my former pupil. But… after everything…. after everything I have done to attain the throne from that wretched Royal Family… you have the audacity to tell me to leave!”. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Link looked around in surprise. He looked back towards Ganondorf. “I… I never wanted it to come to this… but… but you leave me no choice kid”. He then lifted his head. His eyes were glowing a much darker red and an extremely sinister smile surfaced on his face. “Now… YOU SHALL TASTE THE ABSOLUTE TERROR OF THE FULL FORCE OF MY POWER!!!!”. Ganondorf’s body levitated into the air. He gave out a massive cry. The ground began to shake even more violently. The roof and the walls of the throne room began to disintegrate. Ganondorf’s body glew red. It began to get
bigger and bigger. A sense of fear enveloped Link. What Ganondorf’s body was morphing into wasn’t even human. Once the red glow vanished, a horrifying sight greeted Link. It was what looked like a giant moblin, but with a skinnier face, gigantic horns and a long red mane. It was wielding two giant swords. “HA HA HA!! NOW, FACE THE WRATH OF MY ULTIMATE RAGE, GANON!!!!”
Link was stunned into silence. After all the trouble he had gone through and thinking that finally, the scourge of Hyrule had been defeated, a nasty and horrendous surprise stood before him. Ganondorf. In the form of a demonic beast. Revitalized, and with the full might of the Triforce of Power. However, before he could even finish his thought, Ganon rapidly hit Link with a mighty slash of his right sword. Link went flying to the side, hitting the ground with tremendous force. He felt as if he’d been crushed by a barrage of boulders. Every muscle in his body ached. He struggled to sit up due to the pain. With a much deeper, more animalistic tone of voice, Ganon boasted: “HA HA HA!! Did you really think… after regaining your novice-like command of the Triforce of Courage and bringing that new toy with you, you would topple me!? The most powerful ruler Hyrule has ever seen?! Nay, foolish boy!! And now, you will die… die full of regret and in pain, he he he!!”. Tightening his fist even more, Link slowly got to his feet. “Not… not if I have anything to say about it, King of Jerks!”. Link aimed several beams from his Master Sword at Ganon. They were connecting; however, the damage was considerably little as compared to when they were hitting Ganondorf in his normal, Gerudo form. “I… I got to think of something against this behemoth. Surely this can’t be the end. I… I must… hold on. He may be a lot bigger than before, more powerful, but that might come with a gaping weakness. Here goes”, Link said to himself. With his energy taking a significant hit, Link ran towards the beast with everything he had. “Looks like you’ve accepted the inevitable. NOW DIE!!!”. Ganon began to charge his sword attack. The moment the sword’s direction changed, Link performed a forward ground roll through Ganon’s legs. In one move, he aimed a precise slash at Ganon’s left leg, causing him to scream. Link thought he would be able to get in another blow, but Ganon rapidly made a 180 degree turn and slashed Link once again, causing him to hit the ground. Every bone in his body felt as if it had been slammed by his Megaton Hammer. He literally could not move off of the ground. More troublingly, Ganondorf was standing right over him. “Ha ha ha. Your race has been run boy. And now, I will slice your body into half”. Just as Ganon lifted his arm into the air for the killing blow, an arrow flew into the underside of his arm. Again, Ganon screamed in pain. This had bought time for Link to be able to gingerly stand again. Once he got up, he looked towards the direction from where the arrow came. There she stood. Princess Zelda, with the Bow of Light in hand. With a grin, Zelda looked towards Link and teased: “Sorry for my belated entry into the fray. You look like you could use some help, he he”. Smiling, Link replied: “Better late than never Zel! Now, let’s do this!”. After recovering from the pain, Ganon looked towards Zelda. When his eyes met the weapon in Zelda’s possession, he lamented: “So, that’s what you were trying to do all the time you hid from me, wretched Princess! I trusted that worthless Nabosa to protect Gerudo Fortess, but no matter. Once I’ve put the both of you petulant children down, she will suffer for her failure!”. Zelda shot two more arrows towards Ganon’s upper body. He swatted them away with his swords. However, this gave Link a rare, but perfect opening. Operating on pure adrenaline, Link ran up and slashed Ganon’s right leg. This time, his scream was even louder. Amongst the chaos, Zelda shot two more arrows, each at both of Ganon’s arms. Upon impact, Ganon dropped both of his swords. He fell to his knees. “This..
this can’t be…no…”, however, Ganon’s word were cut off by Zelda. “Link…NOW!!!! END THIS!!”. His body felt on the brink of failing and falling apart, but Link knew he couldn’t stop now. This was the moment. With both eyes glowing greener than before, he charged at Ganon. “This…ends… NOW!!”. Link dived forward and with both hands on the Master Sword, dig it straight into Ganon’s abdomen. Ganon’s head tilted backwards and he gave out the loudest, most nerve-curdling scream imaginable. With that, his body fell backwards into the ground, causing the ground to quake momentarily. Link also fell backwards, his body on the verge of shutting down. He spread his arms on the ground and just lay there. After a few moments, Zelda walked up to him. Mustering all the tiny strength he regained in those moments, he stood up. He was again about to fall to the ground, but Zelda managed to stop him from doing so, holding him upright by his shoulders. “Link… you did it. Hyrule is free!! Free from Ganondorf’s tyranny!”. Her voice was breaking whilst those words came out of her mouth, a visible tear dripping down her right cheek. Smiling, Link replied: “Well… what did you expect from Hyrule’s greatest knight!”. In a teasing tone, Link stated: “Now, let’s get married”. Zelda then pushed him backwards. Laughing, she replied: “Once you’ve rebuilt the throne room, fixed all of Hyrule and waited another 50 years, after that, I may think about it!”. Link rolled his eyes, but with that, he looked back towards Ganon’s body and realized his Master Sword was still dug in the beast’s abdomen. “Farore’s sword. I need to keep it with me now. The responsibility of its safety lies on my shoulders”. He slowly walked up to Ganon’s body. Gripping the handle, he pulled the sword out. After re-sheathing it, he began walking back towards Zelda. Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. Link immediately turned around. Ganon’s body emitted a silver glow. However, from the area where the Master Sword was dug into him, a red and black beam began to shoot out. In mid-air, this beam was materializing into some sort of essence. Suddenly, a most repulsive, barbaric and heinous laughter could be heard coming from this essence. It sounded like the laughter of pure, malicious evil.
The laughter continued. Sensing a new type of danger, Link dragged out the Master Sword, albeit with his arms barely holding up. Zelda brought out her Bow of Light once more. The red and black beam stopped. The silver lighting engulfing from Ganon had also ceased. However, the beast was nowhere to be seen. It had reverted back into Ganondorf, his Gerudo form. Still, he lay on the ground, motionless. The red and black essence from which the grotesque laughter was coming from began to take form. It manifested arms, legs and a body. Lastly, a head and face surfaced. The figure had now fully manifested and was floating in the air. Its body was skinny, with reddish black scales all over. The middle of the chest and the face appeared a light purple. It had black eyes with glowing orange pupils and medium to long, black flaming hair. “My my, what an excruciatingly long wait, he he. Seems like centuries have passed in an instant”. Link looked up at this figure and was in a state of petrification. Those eyes seemed like he was staring into a physical manifestation of death. He could feel his whole-body trembling, his teeth chattering with fear. The menacing figure looked towards Zelda and gave a curious expression. “Hylia? You’re alive! HUUUHHHH!! But how? Wait a second… I could have sworn I fried your most glistening body into cinders? Ah… now I see. You must be some sort of descendant, right?”. Zelda brought out her bow and readied a shot. “Link, I know not who or what this devil is, but I’m getting some very disturbing vibes. Vibes I’ve never felt before. We need to quickly defeat… Link?”. However, Link remained stood in a petrified state. “There… there’s no use Zelda. We… we are all doomed”. Zelda was flabbergasted. The literal wielder of the Triforce of Courage, the one who had defeated the Kingdom’s greatest enemy, was suddenly reduced to a quivering wreck in the face of this new adversary. “Awww, little boy. Looks like you’re the one who has any knowledge of who I am. But wait? You didn’t tell you pretty friend here? Oh dear, what a terrible shame”. Starting to feel a sense of dread also, Zelda turned to Link. “What… what is going on here… Link… who is this?”. Falling to his knees, Link could simply muster two words from his mouth: “Our Demise”. “Wow! What a brainy boy you truly are. Who would have thought… hold on… green clothes?! Now I see… you’re a descendant of one of those 3 self-righteous women who thought they knew what was best for this Land, he he”, stated the figure. “But… but they defeated you?”, enquired Link. “Correction! Nearly defeated me”, replied the figure. “Firstly, I must give my thanks to you where it’s due. That word demise is rather dashing, wouldn’t you say, he he? I think I’m just going to make it my own. So, to formally introduce myself, I am Demise! Buuut, back to your question. In a land where I was skipping along, day by day, merrily ravaging and demolishing everything, using the gracious citizens as my little playthings and then killing them when I was bored, once day, three naughty girls came along to spoil my fun. Aaaand, with the help of some ancient power, they nearly succeeded! I must say, the one with the red hair was rather strong and she thought her spear was the death of me. But no, he he he. Now get this! Little did they know that this power they had dug up would become the fuel for their undoing someday, ha ha ha! To stay alive, I can transmit some part of my spirit into a powerful artifact. And what do you know! Whilst the red head impaled me and I was gasping for air, hih huh hih huh, my spear detected a part of their powerful relic. Soooo, whilst my body was disappearing, a part of my spirit clung on to this thing you call the Triforce of Power. And I lived, yippeeee!! But… it was bound to the Triforce, and for my spirit to fully reincarnate, the Triforce had to be strong enough. So, what did I do? Well, had the red head remained her goody two-shoes self, my reincarnation would have been a little difficult. So, my spirit residing in the Triforce came up with an ingenuous plan. Corrupt the red head’s mind, turn her against the Land, making her believe that she should be ruler and give her a reason to become stronger than everyone. My reincarnation was inevitable! Buuuut, then a nasty twist was in store. You with the green clothes, your crazy and impudent ancestor decided to put down her best friend through sacrificing her own life, and through death, the Triforce became dormant, and so did my chance at immediate reincarnation. I had to play the long game. Wait for the Triforce to reawaken. It took some time, but finally… finally, it happened with this over-zealous warlord lying here. The hatred in this poor soul’s heart whilst on the brink of death reawakened it, he he, and the decades he spent learning to utilize its power just strengthened my spirit. When he decided to unleash its full force, the moment of my reincarnation came. It just needed a little spark to cap off the process, and that powerful blade you hold did just that. Now…here I am, ah ha ha ha ha!!”. Zelda pulled back the strings of her bow and stated: “Well Demise, too bad after all of these years, you will be put down once again”. With that, she shot three arrows at Demise, but he simply caught them and snapped them in half. “What’s this? A measure of your power? Oh my. How disappointing. And here I was thinking that little Hylia would be a little more impressive. Too bad. But, since you were so generous to give me a snippet of your power, why don’t I return the favor, he he he”. Demise brought out his arm and positioned it at a 120-degree angle. For a moment, Link was puzzled. Why position his arm away from him and Zelda to demonstrate his power. However, a complete sense of horror engulfed him once he realized where Demise was pointing his arm. It was towards Death Mountain. “This mountain in the distance is ruining the view. Why don’t we remove such an eyesore huh?”. With sweat
falling down his neck and his throat trembling, Link replied: “Demise, p…please… I beg you… please don’t do it, PLEASE!!!”. However, Demise simply returned a most wicked smile. A ball of dark energy emanated from his hand. Immediately, it grew significantly. The ball then shot with rapid pace towards Death Mountain. The ball got smaller and smaller, until it disappeared from sight. Then, a thunderously deafening blow was heard. With that, a massive explosion overtook the horizon. The sky where Death Mountain stood turned a menacing red. A ball of orange smoke replaced where Death Mountain stood. With complete dread, Link screamed: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. DARBUUUSSSSSSSS!!!”. Immediately, he broke down in tears. “Now now, everything has to perish someday, dear boy. I just brought that eventuality forward, he he”, taunted Demise. All of the memories of Link’s time at Goron City came flooding back to him. The sheer heartbreak that they had abruptly been mercilessly killed quickly turned into rage. Also shedding tears, Zelda bellowed: “Odious creature! How could you?!”. Link’s eyes began to again glow green. “I don’t care how powerful you are, YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!!”. With that, Link charged at Demise and aimed a slash. However, before his sword could connect, Demise disappeared. Link began to look around. Suddenly, he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his back. He looked down at his stomach to see a black blade coming out. Blood was gushing out of the site of impact. The blade was then pulled out. “Awww, pity. I was looking forward to a little sword fight there. But sometimes, I just can’t help myself”. From the corner of his eye, Demise could see Zelda readying another arrow. “Nah ah ah, little Hylia. You might not want to do that. Because one little movement of your finger could mean your boyfriend here meeting a rather untimely end, he he. Actually, I’m a little bored. I want to see what he looks like without a head, he he”. In a complete panic, Zelda screamed: “LIIIINNNKKKK, NOOOOOO!!!”. Demise was on the verge of decapitating Link, however, a series of explosions suddenly surrounded the scene. One the verge of passing out, Link felt his body being gripped by what felt like giant bird talons. The next second, it was like he was flying in the air. With whatever consciousness he had left, he could see the obnoxious features of Demise getting smaller and smaller and then turning around. He then passed out.
“Open your eyes… open your eyes… wake up Link”. Upon hearing those words, Link slowly began to open his eyes, bit by bit. He could feel a gentle breeze on his face. His sight was still a little blurry, but in front of him, he could see a bright, blue sky. Tilting his neck rightwards, he caught a glance of someone sitting beside him. It was Zelda. Suddenly, he heard footsteps thudding towards him. Then, he felt a swish of freezing cold water splash into his face. “OPEN YOUR EYES, SLACKER!”. This fully replenished Link’s senses, making him sit up in haste. He looked to his left to see Holu standing there with a small, empty bottle in hand and a cheeky grin. “Hey, what is your problem, bird brain!”, shouted a very irritated Link. Giggling, Zelda stated: “Ummm, Link. Before saying that, you might want to look around and see where we are right now”. Link began doing just that. He recognized the scent. It was the Hebra Region. But, it was an area he’d never been to before. It looked like what was a mini town scattered along a hill. There were multiple hills with similar architecture. However, the giveaway was the inhabitants of these hills. Ritos. Everywhere. Young, old, male, female. Then it dawned upon him. “Zelda, what are we doing at Rito Village?”. Zelda was about to give her response, however, Holu decided to interrupt: “Basically, that crazy demon thingy was totally kicking your ass, so I happened to be passing by, and, being the kind soul I am and feeling ever so sorry for seeing my inferior warrior in such a nasty state, I decided to swoop in for the rescue!”. Upon this, Link remembered the
events that had preceded his waking up. No sooner had he defeated the Evil King Ganondorf did a more horrific and menacing foe appear. And most harrowing, it had completely destroyed the home of the Gorons, Death Mountain, while he and Zelda could only stand and watch. Not to mention, it had almost mortally wounded Link. He lifted his shirt to inspect the damage. However, to his surprise, the wound had almost completely healed. He turned to Holu. “Listen, that thing was the epitome of death. How would YOU have been able to rescue me and Zelda from there?”. Upon this, another figure entered the fray. Zelda turned to greet her. “It’s nice to see you again, Lady Impa!”. She responded: “Likewise, Zelda. But as I told you before, no need for the formalities any longer. Preparations must be made and soon”. Zelda stood up. “Impa, how long have we been asleep?”. Impa replied: “Well, although you awoke a few hours beforehand, Link’s awakening just now has made it two days”. Upon hearing this, Link jumped up in amazement. “TWO DAYS!!! How can that even be possible? The way Demise eviscerated Death Mountain, surely he was going to do the same to the whole of Hyrule in the space of a few hours?”. However, Link’s restless response didn’t phase Impa at all. She replied: “While you and Zelda were confronting Ganondorf, Holu and I were in the process of evacuating the last inhabitants of Castle Town. This task was made easier given the Gerudo were distracted by the events at the Castle. Once that was done and we were ensuring that all the people had left, we sensed the presence of a most repugnant being nearby. So, getting back on one of the Loftwings loaned to us by the Rito Chieftan, Holu and I came to check out what was happening. And what did we find? The roof of the Castle Throne room blown away and you and Zelda facing up to this repugnant demon. You looked in dire straits, and figuring that fighting the demon head-on would be a reckless idea, we decided that the loftwing should grab you and Zelda and we would all retreat. We did this fully knowing that the risk of the demon simply obliterating us before leaving was high. However, while we were flying away, the demon shouted out loud from behind that he would allow us to quiver in fear for 3 days and make peace with our destruction before he would lay waste to Hyrule, once and for all”. Both Link and Zelda were shocked. Zelda replied: “But Impa, that monster looked and sounded a being of pure, unrestrained evil. How is it he was willing to let us go?”. “Ah, the ancient demon of destruction. It finally returned after all these centuries”. All who were present on the gazebo turned at once to the source of the voice. It was a face Link had seen a couple of times before, Kaepora Gaebora. He was sat on the edge of the gazebo railing. “The story of this demon disappeared into obscure folklore known by a very select few in the Land. So, the nature of the monster we are now confronted with is unknown to all. What makes this demon so horrifying is how he would revel in the misery of those he destroyed. Before the founding warriors of the Land had supposedly defeated it, no one had the power, wisdom, or courage to best it. Due to this, the demon would toy with its victims, giving them false belief that they could find some way to vanquish it, but to no avail. As a result, the people would be killed cruel, merciless and gruesome deaths”. With a sense of frustration, Holu remarked: “OK then owl, what do you suppose we do? Tell us some possible way we can save the Land or at least some of it from the clutches of this odious freak-show?”. “Patience, young Rito. I was just coming to that. Now, the demon you have named Demise was stopped by the golden warriors through use of their respective Triforce pieces. Power, Courage and Wisdom. But, as we stand, we only have the power of Courage through Link at our disposal. Prospects of using the Triforce of Power disappeared with the putting down of Ganondorf. And Zelda here has not yet managed to awaken the Triforce of Wisdom. We only have one day before Demise will begin his rampage, so it is safe to assume that using
the Triforce of Wisdom will not be an option”. At this, Link interrupted. “Hold on a minute. When I defeated Ganondorf, shouldn’t the Triforce of Power have come to me?”. Kaepora Gaebora replied: “Now that you mention it, this has brought another troubling possibility to light. It is very plausible that when Demise reincarnated, he usurped the Triforce of Power. And this could make him even more powerful than he was before. So, this renders our job a lot more difficult. However, this is where the whole Land must unite. Come together and stand up against this menace”. He then turned his head towards Zelda and pointed his wing at her. “With a leader like this fine young lady, I believe Hyrule has what it takes to overcome this terrible threat”. Zelda froze. It felt as if a massive weight was suddenly put upon her shoulders. She knew that as Princess and heir to the throne, the day would eventually come when she would rule Hyrule. But, she never imagined that at such a tender age, the responsibility would fall upon her. “But… I’ve never experienced being a ruler, Kaepora Sir. How can I lead the Land against such a formidable adversary?”. Kaepora Gaebora replied: “Zelda, you are a fine young lady who was born to rule. Your smile, your persona is everything Hyrule needs at this critical juncture. You have a light which can shine through even the blackest of darkness. And it is this light which I know will see everyone through this trial”. At this, Link cut in: “Hold on a minute. Who exactly are you eh? You seem to know a lot for a mere owl”. Kaepora Gaebora’s face turned red. His head turned anticlockwise. “Here here, I’m no one to be suspicious of. I’m just someone who wants Hyrule to be rid of its difficulties”. Zelda added: “Your way of speech. It’s just so… warm. So familiar”. Kaepora Gaeobora began to flap its wings and float into the air. “Well… it was awfully nice talking to you all. Now, go for broke and see it through!”. With that, he flew away. “Hmmm, there’s something strange about that owl”, remarked Impa.
A few hours later, Link, Zelda, Impa and Holu made their way to the home of the Rito Chieftan, which was located on top of the middlemost mini-hill. They had been summoned to discuss a strategy to combat the demon Demise. After a little period of waiting, the Rito Chieftan entered the room and took his seat. “Many thanks for the four of you gathering here. As we are all aware, the Land of Hyrule is currently going through one of the most terrifying and difficult phases in its recent history. No sooner had this young knight, Link, defeated the Gerudo King Ganondorf, were we faced with this most horrifying demon who is bent on the destruction of all of us. For the last year, the races of Hyrule have lived in fear from the iron-fisted rule of Ganondorf, but now, the nature of the threat we face forces us to fight for survival. Now, as our beloved and most respected Princess, I turn to you to guide us into the next phase, Zelda”. Slightly blushing and giving a wry smile, Zelda replied: “Firstly, please give me the opportunity to offer my sincerest gratitude to the Rito people for providing sanctuary to all who escaped Ganondorf’s tyranny. You have been the glue which has kept the morale of the good people of this Land. However, given the circumstances we now find ourselves in, I must ask the Rito to offer up their strongest knights in the effort to stand up to the menace which threatens our existence”. To this, the Rito Chieftan replied: “Consider it done, Princess. In addition, given the very close ties we have with the Zora race, we have a long-standing pact that whenever either of our races is in a state of war, the other will also send their troops in aid. Therefore, you can also count on an army of Zora joining the battle”. At this, Link replied: “That’s great and all, however, would we not also need some Hylian Knights?”. Holu replied: “No need to get all sweaty over that. After all, we helped some of your knights escape red head lunatic’s clutches. So, your buddies will also be able to join the fight”. Link replied: “We have that covered now. However, this leaves Rito
Village vulnerable. I assume the moblins who were hanging around the Land won’t have magically disappeared”. Suddenly, a voice came from the door. “No need to worry about that”. All of them turned to the door, from where a figure walked in. It was a Gerudo. Link immediately stood up and took out his sword: “Not to mention, these dastardly Gerudos. Leave, or I will take you out”, however, Impa moved in to calm Link down. “Hold it. That is Lady Nabosa. She is the Gerudo second-in-command who has been fighting for our side all this time”. Upon a closer look, Link remembered her face. It was the same Gerudo whom he battled on top of Death Mountain and had given him the Lens of Truth to expose Ganondorf. He also remembered that she said something about being part of a “Gerudo Defector Squad”. He re-sheathed his blade and sat back down. “Link, on behalf of the Gerudo who just want peace, I thank you for defeating Ganondorf. Since that day, many of the Gerudo have for some reason began to leave Gerudo Fortress, especially those who had die-hard loyalty to that filth. I suspect that, as Rito Village is now the de facto base of Hyrule for the time being, they may attempt to infiltrate this place. Hence, me and my loyalists will stay here to protect all who remain behind. We have also helped evacuate the farmlands, so no need to worry about them”. This brought a gratuitous smile to Link’s face. “Thanks Nabosa. At least I know my family will be safe here. Sorry for my initial hostility”. Nabosa simply nodded. Zelda stood up. “OK, respected Rito Chieftan, if you could send word to Zora’s Domain to dispatch their strongest warriors immediately, at the break of dawn, we shall embark towards Hyrule Castle to confront Demise. Lady Nabosa, you and your loyalists can hold the fort”. At this, the Rito Chieftan replied: “And so it shall be. The fight to rid this evil demon begins at dawn. Respected Princess, may you lead us to victory”. This concluded the meeting. All began to leave the Rito Chieftan’s house. However, before Zelda walked out the door, she stopped and turned to the Rito Chieftan. “Before I leave, I just wanted to know… how is my mother?”. Smiling, the Rito Chieftan replied: “She is still in her slumber. It took a lot of endeavor for our finest mind health expert to sooth her restlessness, however, his efforts were successful and she was put to sleep. But, she will need some considerable amount of sleep to fully heal her mind of all the traumas she experienced over the years, so I would not be inclined to disturbing her during this delicate time. Once she awakens, her mind should be fully healed”. Zelda gave a smile, clasped her hands together and bowed. “I am truly grateful. May you and all the Rito be blessed”. With that, she turned around and walked out of the house. That night, most of the occupants of Rito Village descended into a tentative, but much needed sleep. Except for Link and Holu. Both of them were training with great intensity at the gazebo. Holu was shooting a barrage of arrows towards Link, who was either acrobatically dodging them or slashing them away with his sword. “Hah, doing more dodging than hitting, hey Link? At this rate, Demise is going to impose his very name on your life”. Incensed, Link jumped up at Holu, tripped him up and was about to land a blow with his sword, but managed to pull back in time. “Hey, what’s the deal? You know how strong that sword is. You wanna kill me that badly Link?!, shouted Holu. Re-sheathing his blade, Link replied: “I’m… I’m sorry Holu. I just let my frustration get the better of me”. Placing his bow to the side, Holu sat down. “Take a seat Link. Look, you feel as if you failed because you couldn’t take down Demise, despite coming off a gruelling battle against Ganondorf. That blade you sport on your back. It’s no ordinary blade, and yes, you are a much stronger fighter with it by your side, of course not as strong as me, but you know what I’m saying. And because of that, you believe that entitles you to win every duel you enter without question. But it doesn’t work like that. You get where you are through graft and merit”. Link’s eyes began to widen in realization. Maybe, he thought to himself, he started to
believe merely wielding the Master Sword had made him invincible and possessing it would see him to victory every time. But, that scuffle with Demise had thrown a wrench into that feeling. Holu continued: “It is that graft that you never forget. What made you the fighter you are today. Doesn’t matter how powerful the blade you wield is. It is the skills that you have worked so hard to develop which you need to combine to make you a force to be reckoned with”. Link’s face transitioned to a look of determination. He stood up and stated: “You maybe a huge jerk who lives in the delusion of being a better warrior than me, but man do you know how to give a speech!”. He then winked and gave a thumbs up. “Thanks Holu”. Laughing, Holu replied: “Don’t get carried away. I just want us all to get out of this in one piece so that I can resume humiliating you in future. Now, go and get some shut-eye”. Rolling his eyes, Link replied: “Keep telling yourself that, winged wacko!”. Link walked to the stable he was allocated for the night and slowly but surely went to sleep.
Upon the first rays of the morning sun entering the stable, Link awoke. He put on the hat given to him by Saria and re-equipped his Master Sword and Hylian Shield. He felt as if the late-night conversation with Holu had cleared his mind. Sure, he thought, the Master Sword and the Power of the Triforce of Courage were of great value to his fight, however, his journey and transformation from being a mere farm boy working to overcome his fears into one of the Land’s most promising knights was of much greater importance. He had to stay true to all of the lessons that journey had taught him if he were to unleash his full potential and have a realistic shot at defeating the deadly Demise. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the open door of the stable. “Well that’s a first. Not sleeping in like you were at the Knight’s Academy I see, ha ha”. Link looked towards the door to see Zelda standing with a bright grin. Upon closer inspection, Link noticed that over her usual Royal attire, she was wearing armor pads protecting her shoulders, forearms, midsection and shins. Curious, Link asked: “Hmmm, I see you will be participating in the battle. But you’re not wearing your Sheikah costume?”. Giving a wry smile, Zelda replied: “You’re correct, that outfit was effective for the time I was a fugitive from Ganondorf, but it reminds me of some of the uncharacteristic and brutal actions I was forced to undertake. I am no hardcore ninja, I am a Princess, who must act as the beacon of hope for my people. And to do that, I must lead being who I truly am. Speaking of leading, the Zora battalion has arrived and the Rito and Hylian warriors are also ready to embark, so we must begin our descent immediately”. Link nodded and began to walk out of the stable. Before he could leave, Zelda asked: “About your clothing, shouldn’t you be wearing something more accurate to a knight?”. Link turned to face Zelda and with a smile replied: “Not this time Zelda. This green tunic and hat remind me that I’m also fighting for the ones who worked so hard to replenish me back to health. They may not be able to join this battle, but me wearing this tunic of the forest is a representation of their contribution towards the fight for Hyrule. Mido, Alsu, the Deku Tree and most of all, Saria”. Zelda merely returned a smile and both began walking towards the entrance of the Rito Village area. This Saria must have earned a special place in Link’s heart, Zelda thought to herself. After a walk of around 15 minutes, Link and Zelda arrived to greet a horde of Rito, Zora and Hylian warriors waiting at the entrance to Rito Village. Zelda paused a few yards in front of the travelling party. “Brave citizens of our beloved Hyrule, as you are aware, today we are fighting for the survival of our Land. I understand that this scenario is enough to make you tremble. We are faced with an abominable demon who will not spare any opportunity to wreak complete havoc and death upon each and every corner of this Land. These stakes will strike fear, however, the only thing we have to counter fear is
our courage. So, whenever you feel that your inner fear is on the verge of crippling you, fill your mind with this unbreakable thought that courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten. So, to all of you, I say stow your fears, because it is now or never! For us, our families, our friends. Let us do it for them”. With that, Zelda gave possibly her brightest smile and held her arm in the air, pointing two fingers to the sky. At this, all of the warriors, including Link, gave an almighty cheer. Thus, they began their descent towards Hyrule Field.
After journeying through the cold, but calm Hebra region, the resistance arrived at Hyrule Field. They began what they thought would be the home strait towards Hyrule Castle. However, as they delved deeper into the field, Zelda turned to Link and stated: “As we get closer towards Hyrule Castle, a sense of unease is festering within me”. In affirmation, Link replied: “You’re right Zelda. Additionally, as we advance, the clouds are becoming grayer and angrier”. The armies had reached what was around the centre of Hyrue Field when Zelda signalled them to stop. The skies had become a greyish black. The ground beneath them began to shake. All of the warriors became restless and started looking at one another. Suddenly, a figure spontaneously appeared before them. Link immediately brought out his Master Sword, Zelda her Bow of Light. “And there we have it! How sweet, I almost feel touched, he he. All these fighters, come to greet little old me”. That smile of unrelenting evil, that reddish brown skinny body and flaming black hair. Demise stood right in front of them. As terrifying and heinous as before. Zelda replied: “Mock all you like Demise, but we stand before you with something a hideous creature like you shall never understand. Love. Love for each other and our kingdom. And it is that love which shall vanquish you”. Demise gave off a crazy laugh. “So, you bring together your posse and label it love? Well, two can play at that game. Here you go!”. Demise pointed his hand to the ground. It started to shake with even more vigor. Suddenly, little reddish-black energy balls began emerging from the ground. They all materialized into what looked like round creatures. They had the same scaly skin as Demise, however, they came with large tails, clawed arms and legs and giant mouths with sharp teeth. “Gotta admit, your posse was making me feel a little lonely, so I decided to make things a little more fun and unleash my imprisoned babies. And they’ve been starved for a nice meal. So, little Hylia, I better thank you for bringing them such a nice feast, he he he!”. Link and Zelda looked around in horror. This had turned from what was meant to be a precise and overwhelming surgical strike on one being into a full-on war between whole armies. Zelda looked in concern as it seemed that Demise’s creatures were vastly outnumbering the Hylians, Zoras and Ritos put together. If only they had some more strength within their ranks, she thought to herself. Link also looked around in worry. He had put his compete focus on Demise and Demise alone, not these horrendous creatures. One of them was charging straight at Link. He was readying his shield to block, however, before it reached him, something rolled into the creature with great momentum, sending it flying back. On first glance, it merely looked like a large boulder, but upon closer inspection, there was something very familiar about it. Link slowly walked up to it, but before he could touch it, it jumped into the air and expanded into a large, humanoid figure. When it landed, it faced Link, who looked in complete and utter stupefaction. “D….Darbus?!”, Link muttered. “AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA. NICE TO SEE YA AGAIN, SHORT FRY!!!!! YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’VE SEEN A GHOST!!”, bellowed Darbus. Link replied: “I… I thought you and the Gorons were no more. Demise… he destroyed Death Mountain right in front of me”. Link looked around to see a flurry of Gorons rolling into Demise’s creatures and knocking them around. “AHA HA HA HA HA. YOU REALLY THINK US GORONS ARE A BUNCH OF WEAKLINGS? AHA HA HA HA
HA HA!! ONE OF MY BROTHERS SAW THAT BIG BLACK BALL COMING AND SHOUTED TO DUCK INTO BALLS. IN FACT, THIS MORON DID US ALL A FAVOR, HE BLEW UP ALL THE MOBLINS WALKING AROUND DEATH MOUNTAIN. BESIDES, DEATH MOUNTAIN NEEDED A MAKEOVER ANYWAY, AHA HA HA HA HA HA!”. With a smile of relief, Link replied: “I’m just glad you all survived. Besides, we can really use your help here. Zelda was also relieved. With their brute power, the Gorons would be a valuable addition in this war. “WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THESE FREAKY CROCODILES, SO WHY DON’T YA AND THE PRINCESS GO AFTER THE BOSS MAN!”. Link and Zelda nodded. “Now this was rather unexpected, he he! Looks like you people are more resilient than your cowardly ancestors. It will make it all the more delicious for me!”, mocked Demise. With all of the forces locked in a battle with Demise’s creatures, Link and Zelda stared at Demise. After a few moments, both moved in towards him.
Link turned to Zelda and stated: “Zelda, the best strategy we have here is if you stay a few yards away and aim precise shots with your bow. We will need to end this quickly, so I’m going all in with the power of the Triforce”. Zelda nodded. A moment later, Link tightened his fist, causing both his eyes and the Master Sword to glow green. He started slashing sword beams at Demise, who seemed to block them with ease. Link then charged straight at his adversary. He aimed slash after slash, however, Demise was constantly disappearing and reappearing in various spaces around Link. “He he, you’re giving me quite the runabout green bean! But I guess I’m much enjoying it, considering I was all cooped up in the Triforce of Power”. Demise reappeared in a space near Zelda. Instinctively, she shot an arrow right at Demise’s leg. “Ouch!, What a bother…!, but before he could finish, Link jumped at Demise and viciously slashed his back, causing him to fall forward slightly. “Wow, took you long enough, but you finally scratched my skin, he he”, mocked Demise. “Just you wait, I’m going to do much more than scratch your skin”. Demise then materialized what looked like a spiked, black sword. “Dodging and weaving was getting a little boring. So, I’ve decided I’m going to play your game now”. Link attempted another blow at Demise, who blocked it with his newly-acquired sword. What followed were a series of sword struggles. Link then jumped backwards. Zelda aimed a series of arrows at Demise, who slashed them away. Link moved in once again, and while Demise was distracted, slashed his abdomen. This made Demise kneel somewhat. “Now, that was downright rude! I’m going to take this up a level, he he!”. Demise was now moving much faster. Zelda’s arrows were missing him completely. He then appeared in front of Link and slashed his right thigh. Link gave a grimace and began to clutch his thigh. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is this too much for you to handle, green bean? Just let me know, and I can fry your body right here, he he!”. Link replied: “You can go straight to Hell!”. He then began shooting a barrage of beams from his Master Sword at Demise. He was dodging them, but was finding it more difficult to do so. Additionally, Zelda began shooting arrows non-stop. Suddenly, an arrow landed on Demise’s shoulder. Whilst he was momentarily stunned, one of Link’s sword beams also hit, stunning him even more. Seeing an opportunity, Link charged at Demise and with all of his energy, landed what was probably his strongest slash. In fact, it was so powerful, it sliced off Demise’s right arm. “You… you slimy, dirty little cretin, what do you call that?!”, stated Demise. For the first time, his words came with something other than mockery and derision. “”I call this the end of the fight, Demise. Now, before I end you, crawl back to the hole from where you came”, stated Link. With fear in his eyes, Demise replied: “O…O… OK, whatever you say sir. I will disappear….”, but his fake concern turned back into a sinister smile. “…Ahem, I mean… I will make this
Land disappear, he he”. Demise then stood up. To Link’s horror, a new arm rapidly grew out of his shoulder. “Ah, regeneration. What a handy trick to have up your sleeve”. He brought out his arm in front of him and pushed Link to the ground. He then shot out small beams at both of Link’s hands and feet, binding him to the ground. Zelda tried shooting some arrows at him, however, Demise shot an energy ball at the ground near her, causing her to fly back. Link could not move, despite all of his struggling to break free from Demise’s binds. Demise then stood over him, with sword in hand. “You were a fun little plaything for a while. However, playthings get old real fast, and when that happens, you simply have to get rid of them, he he! And once you’re gone, I guess I will play some more with this Land before consigning it to the waste corner of history”. Demise was edging closer to impaling Link’s grounded body by gripping his sword with both hands and aiming it over his body. “It will be interesting to see what the inside of your body looks li….AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”, but before Demise could finish his sentence and execution, something resembling a black trident came out of his abdomen. For the first time, Demise’s face looked in agony and distress. “That… that cursed weapon…”, he muttered before falling to the ground next to Link, whose binds spontaneously disappeared. Link lifted his head to be greeted with the shock of his life. “It… it’s you… but… but how?”. That black armour, greyish-green skin, but most prominently, that crimson hair. Stood over Demise’s body was none other than the Gerudo King himself, Ganondorf. “Stay down, demon filth. This is my throne, my kingdom!”.
ACT 3
“G…Ganondorf. You’ve come to…”, before Link could finish his sentence, Ganondorf cut in. “Silence! If you believe I have come to rescue the people’s miserable hydes, you are tragically mistaken. I have come to rescue my hold on Hyrule’s throne and obliterate anyone who dares to come in my way. Both this lamentable creature and that wretched Royal Family, Zelda and company, are the same in my eyes, pitiful obstacles standing in my way!”. After a few moments, Demise got back onto his feet. The hole which Ganondorf’s trident made on Demise had disappeared. “Arghhhh, that was the most painful blow I’ve felt since those silly ladies tried to kill me ages back”. He looked at Ganondorf and his trident. Smiling, Demise stated: “Now I see. The descendant of that gormless red-head still lives, he he. But I must say… respect to you! Serving as the vessel for the Triforce of Power, nurturing and garnering it to make my resurrection inevitable, he he! Sadly, I must put you down now”. With a snigger, Ganondorf replied: “Ha ha ha. I actually pity you, thinking that you have used me to commence your rampage. Now, what if I told you, after all this time planning your resurrection, this ‘vessel’ will be the source of your end… in the very land you claim you will demolish. Now risible demon, do your worst!”. Both Ganondorf and Demise charged at one another and their respective blades clashed. Demise managed to push Ganondorf back and tried to stab his chest. However, Ganondorf blocked the blow with his trident. “Ah, I see. It was this very trident which I used to gain access into the Triforce of Power. That’s
why I have such an attachment to it, he he. Once I’ve terminated you, I might just keep it for myself”, mocked Demise. Ganondorf thrusted his trident forward. Strangely, it emitted a force which pushed Demise a few yards back. “Ha! The only association you shall have with this trident is that it will be adorned with your blood, lousy demon!”. Demise then brought out his left arm and shot a series of black energy balls at Ganondorf, who batted them away with his trident. Link, now a mere spectator of the tussle between the current and former scourge of Hyrule, was astonished. He had never seen such a powerful weapon as Ganondorf was now using. But at that moment, he remembered how the Great Deku Tree told him of the weapons Nayru, Din and Farore each wielded, and how Din had her own weapon, the trident. But where did he find the weapon and how was it that he didn’t use it in their conflict earlier? However, these questions seemed to move to the back of his mind whilst his focus went straight to the fight happening in front of him. One of the black energy balls hit the ground right in front of Ganondorf, stunning him momentarily. Demise then moved in and slashed Ganondorf, drawing blood from his neck. Momentarily, Ganondorf’s head faced downwards. Suddenly, a red aura enveloped him. His eyes glew a familiar red. Smirking, Ganondorf stated: “You have enabled the blood to flow within my veins and now outwards. The time for casual play ends here, now you will face the most formidable fight of your forlorn life, foul demon!”. He charged at Demise and aimed a series of brutal blows. Demise’s face was now portraying great concern. He was clearly struggling to keep Ganondorf at bay. To break the deadlock, Demise attempted to mount his own attack, however, the moment he moved his arm back, Ganondorf stabbed through his right shoulder, severing his entire arm. “AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH, you piece of….”, but at that moment, Ganondorf followed suit with Demise’s left shoulder. Demise now had no arms left. He knew that regenerating would take time, time he would not have in the moment, so in a desperate attempt, he began to aim kicks, but to no avail. Ganondorf sliced off both of Demise’s feet. He was now on his knees, screaming in pain. Smiling, Ganondorf, then gripped his trident more intensely and stabbed Demise through the chest and pushed him into the ground. Standing over him, neck lifted and chest beating out, Ganondorf laughed: “Ha ha ha!! I warned you demon… this trident would be adorned in your blood. By combating these children, you bought into your own invincibility, thinking you will demolish everything in your path, unimpeded. Little did you know, once you came up against true power, the most stalwart leader of this land… you were brought to your place, on the ground… beneath my boot!”. Link and Zelda looked on with great incredulity. It was evident that the trident had made Ganondorf immensely stronger than when he battled Link. Zelda, while feeling a sense of relief that Ganondorf had taken down Demise, she could not help but feel anxious that once this battle was over, a resurgent Ganondorf would retake the throne. How would they deal with this twist? “Aaoww… well this was… unexpected. Those… those cowering wretches whom you would call men… they… who would believe they would spawn men such as you and that green bean. They… they trembled at the mere mention of me. I… I must reward you… reward you with this… he he he!”. The ground began to shake. Lightning strikes began to violently strike the battlefield. Demise’s body rose from the ground. “Commendable… your feeble ancestors never got to experience what you will now experience, he he he!”. A black aura overtook Demise’s crippled body. He then gave out a loud scream. His body began to expand. His arms and feet regenerated. What was once a skinny, slender body began growing brawny and strong muscles. Arms and legs also displaying sturdy exteriors. But most prominently, his black, flaming hair transformed into a spectacular orange. Demise then descended to the ground. Bringing out both hands, he
materialized two menacing blades. Everyone fighting Demise’s creatures ceased their individual battles to see what had transpired.
What stood before Link, Zelda and Ganondorf was a most disturbing sight. Demise’s body had completely transformed. He was now thrice the size he was before and appeared as a berserker. Ganondorf simply smirked and mocked: “Ha! You can grow your miserable body all you like, but you shall be brought once again to your knees by my trident!”. However, Link and Zelda were definitely in no mood to be so bombastic. Demise’s face expressions had changed from being constantly deranged to something portraying an eerie calm. He turned to Ganondorf and with a calculated smirk, slashed his sword at him. Ganondorf tried to block with his trident, however, the blow slammed him to the ground. “Hmmm, did you say something about being brought to the ground, insect?”. Demise then walked towards Ganondorf and stamped his foot on his neck. Ganondorf was gasping for air. “Your time has come to a close. Now, die by my sword!”. Demise was about to land a fatal blow upon Ganondorf; however, Link came up from behind and stabbed his back. Despite it not having a significant effect, the distraction enabled Ganondorf to get up onto his feet. In a fit of rage, Ganondorf exclaimed: “Curse you Link! I am in no need of your favours. I would rather die a painful death than be rescued by the likes of you!”. However, Link yelled back: “I didn’t do it to save your sorry behind. I saw an opening and tried to seize upon it. But even if I did, we are, for the moment, on the same side. Once we have taken this wicked creep down, we shall resume our hostilities, but for now, for better or worse, we must work together!”. Gritting his teeth, Ganondorf gave a reluctant nod. With that, both Link and Ganondorf charged at the resurgent Demise. With their Master Sword and trident respectively, they aimed blows at Demise, who was simply blocking them with his two swords. They kept aiming slashes after slashes, but clearly, Demise was keeping them at bay. “Power and Courage… both coming at me with full force. But… not even able to land a single blow… how pitiful!”. Demise then landed two powerful blows on both of his combatants. They were reeling from these blows when Demise kicked both to the ground. Whilst grounded, Link looked around Hyrule Field. Demise’s creatures were visibly increasing. Both on the ground and in the sky. All of the Rito, Zora, Gorons and even Gerudos whom had entered the battle with Ganondorf were trying their level best to defeat them. However, the creatures were beginning to outnumber Hyrule’s forces. For the first time, Link was beginning to lose hope. Hope that Hyrule would make it out of this predicament. Both he and Ganondorf were trying to get back on their knees, when suddenly, a figure walked out in front of them. It was Zelda, with rapier in hand. “Z…Zelda, what are you doing?”, asked a worried Link. She turned around and with a smile, replied: “Link, everyone has fought such a hard battle, but ultimately, it is up to me to try and save them… even if I die trying”. Gasping, Link exclaimed: “Zelda… p… please don’t. You’re not strong enough… he will kill you!”. However, Zelda charged in towards Demise. “What a foolish child”, Ganondorf muttered to himself. With a sinister smile, Demise taunted: “Little Hylia. Looks like you have come to die the same way as your dear ancestor!”. She tried to land a meaningful blow on Demise, but was falling well short. Demise was blocking them with great ease. Now with great trepidation, Link shouted: “Zelda! Please stop!! I beg you… please!!”. However, his words were to no avail. Demise hit Zelda’s rapier, causing it to fall out of her hand. He then stabbed her straight through the chest. “ZELDAAAAAAAAAA!!”, screamed Link. With a subtle laugh, Demise taunted: “Now, you can join Hylia and the rest of your weak ancestors!”. With that, he shot a black energy ball at her point blank. This caused her to fly back, straight into
Link’s arms. Panicked, Link shouted: “Z…ZELDA! WHY??? WHY DID YOU DO THIS??”. With her life-force leaving her with every passing second, she replied: “I… I had to buy… buy you time Link… to recover… you… you are our light!”. “Just stay down Zelda, I… I know you will be fine. Once the battle is over, we will take you to the Ritos and get you patched up!”. However, Zelda put her hand on Link’s cheek. “Link… it’s… it’s OK. I… I just wanted the people… the people of Hyrule to be happy… and… and I tried”. Tears were streaming down Link’s cheeks. “P…please don’t leave us. Please… don’t leave me”, cried Link. “Link… all… all of these people… my people… are fragments of my heart. P… please save them all… for me. Now… I leave… I leave the rest to you”. Zelda then gave her characteristic smile and closed her eyes. Link began to cry uncontrollably, gripping her tightly. Ganondorf simply muttered: “Well, one obstacle is out of my way!”. Many of the fighters also began looking in distress. Demise smiled and stated: “That’s one worm put under the ground. Now for the other two!”. Ganondorf replied: “You will never put me down, imprudent demon”, and their battle commenced.
Zelda’s eyes opened. She was surrounded by what seemed like a black void. Surely, she thought, her soul had left the realm of the living. Suddenly, a voice came from behind. “Dear Zelda, you brave, brave girl”. She turned around to see a woman. It was a woman who had a striking resemblance to her. However, she felt as if she had seen her before. “Who… who are you?”, she asked. Smiling, the woman replied: “You know who I am, child. I’ve always been by your side”. Then it struck her. It was that figure she saw as a child in the Castle Courtyard. Putting the puzzle piece together, she replied: “Hylia, it’s you!”. However, she followed that with a frown. “I… I’m so sorry. I failed you. I wasn’t able to keep our land safe”. With an even brighter smile, Hylia replied: “Don’t speak like that. You dedicated your whole life for the happiness of the people, and it is due to the brave sacrifices you made that they still have a chance to live, to fulfill their dreams”. Zelda then felt someone put their hand on her left shoulder. “It was the unconditional love for all of the people, even those who were hostile, which gave you the ability to make those sacrifices”. Zelda turned to her left to see another woman. She had sparkling blue hair and wore a blue dress. She smiled and stated: “I am Nayru, another of your ancestors. And I must admit, the love you have given to everyone who has crossed paths with you even managed to overtake my affection”. Both Hylia and Nayru had their hand on either of Zelda’s shoulders. Both of them stated: “It is that love which the Land of Hyrule still needs. It needs you. Now go, and awaken your true power”. Link was still holding onto Zelda’s body when suddenly, a blue aura enveloped her body. Her eyes opened with a blue glow. Flabbergasted, Link quickly placed her on the ground. Her fist tightened and her hand surfaced a glowing blue triangle. Smiling, Link stated: “Finally… it… it’s awakened. The Triforce of Wisdom!”.
“Hey Link… long time, no see”, Zelda stated whilst arising from the ground. She smiled and taunted: “Am I glistening so much, that you have no words?”. Rolling his eyes, Link replied: “It was nice of you to wake up, he he. I was about to throw some freezing cold water on your face”. At that moment, one of Demise’s creatures was about to attack her from behind. However, Zelda put out her hand, and with something resembling golden sparks, disintegrated the creature. Link was stunned. She then turned back to Link and with a laugh, stated: “I… feel something I have never before… an unbeatable power”. She looked around the battlefield and suddenly disappeared in specks of golden sparks. Link began to look in all directions and all he could see is Zelda reappearing anywhere Demise’s creatures stood,
destroying them with her new-found power and moving on to another. Demise, whilst in the midst of a weapon struggle with Ganondorf, became distracted. “What… what is going on? I… I just finished off that dross, and she still lives? HOW??”. Whilst Demise was distracted, Ganondorf landed a heavy blow to Demise’s face, causing him to fall backwards. “Typical… after everything I did… it was this cringe-worthy ‘power of love’ nonsense which awakened the Triforce of Wisdom. I should have known, how pathetic!”, remarked Ganondorf. Zelda had taken out a multitude of Demise’s creatures in what felt like no time. The amount of Hyrulean forces and the creatures were now much more equal. In a golden spark, Zelda appeared before Link. Once again, she smiled and stated: “Looks like I may give you a run for your rupees, most powerful knight of Hyrule!”. Link smiled back and replied stated: “You maybe my Princess, in more ways than one, but sorry to say, that title belongs to me”. Striking a more serious tone, Zelda replied: “Well then, we must seize this moment. All three of us, as the wielders of Courage, Power and Wisdom. Now… go at Demise with everything you have. It’s time to end this war”. Link nodded and tightened his fist. His eyes once again glew green. He charged at Demise, who was still reeling from Ganondorf’s blow. “Poignant fools! You think your Princess survives one of my attacks and now you have the upper hand! You will all die by my blades!”. Link and Ganondorf were aiming blows at him, but again, he was blocking. However, an arrow made of pure, golden energy hit Demise’s right shoulder. He screamed in pain. Link and Ganondorf turned around to see Zelda standing with the Bow of Light. “The Triforce of Wisdom has activated the Bow’s true power. It’s allowing me to shoot arrows of golden light by merely pulling the string”. She then shot a series of arrows at Demise. They were evidently causing him damage. “YOU… FEEBLE FRAGMENTS OF MUD… I… I WILL KILL YOU… AND SCORCH THIS LAND!!!”, screamed Demise. Link and Ganondorf again tried to aim significant blows at Demise, but he blocked them. From behind, Zelda exclaimed: “The time has come. Let us finish this beast with the combined power of the Triforce. Now… DO IT!!”. At that moment, she shot another light arrow at Demise’s chest, stunning him. Link then tightened his fist with all of his might. “Maximum power!”, he exclaimed. His Master Sword glew green and with Demise stunned, he dug the sword into his left knee. A green triangle surfaced on the area where the Master Sword was dug in. On the other hand, Ganondorf also tightened his fist and exclaimed: “With all my power”. His trident glew red and he dug it into Demise’s right knee. A red triangle surfaced on the area where his trident was dug in. Demise was brought to his knees. “HOW… AFTER ALL THESE CENTURIES… ALL OF MY EFFORTS, EFFORTS TO CORRUPT AND DECEIVE… I’M GOING DOWN TO THESE PITIFUL INSECTS… HOOOWWWWWWW!!!!”. In that moment, Zelda reappeared a few yards in front of Demise. With a smile, she stated: “Quite simply… because you messed with the wrong group of people… my people”. She then pulled back the string of the Bow and once a light arrow appeared, let it go. The arrow shot straight into Demise’s forehead. At the point of impact, a blue triangle appeared. Suddenly, all three triangles came together. They all turned a bright gold. With mesmerized eyes, Zelda exclaimed: “It’s here… the complete Triforce!”. The Triforce then began to incinerate Demise’s body. He was screaming in complete agony whilst all of his limbs began to disappear in golden flames. “AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!! MALEDICTION TO EVERY CORNER OF THIS LAND!!! MALEDICTION TO EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD!!! MAY YOU ALL MEET A TERRIBLE FATE AND DIE IN PAIN… AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”. He screamed until every single part of his being had disappeared in the flame. When that point came, each part of the Triforce reverted to its normal colour of green, red and blue and subsequently returned to its wielder. Ganondorf then gripped his trident and slammed it into the ground,
destroying all of the creatures coming out of the ground. Link gripped his Master Sword and performed a sword spin. A green energy force emitted to all directions, destroying all the creatures standing on the field. Zelda aimed her Bow skywards and shot a light arrow into the air. The arrow split into multiple small beams and destroyed all of the creatures flying in the sky that were fighting the Ritos. Thus, the whole of Hyrule Field was cleaned of any trace of Demise or any of his creatures. The black sky gave way to a calm and bright blue sky. Zelda then fell to her knees. “It… it’s over”. She then looked up and with a bright smile, cheered: “We did it… we saved our Hyrule!!”.
All of the warriors, Zora, Goron and Rito gave a loud cheer. Link spread his feet in an authoritative stance and pointed the Master Sword skywards and exclaimed: “VICTORYYYYYYYY!!!”. The rest of the fighters also followed with chants of “Victory! Victory! Victory!”. The chants were brought to an abrupt end when suddenly, a barrage of Gerudo warriors surrounded both Link and Zelda whilst pointing their spears. Two of them stepped sideways to make way for Ganondorf to walk into the circle. “Apprehend the fugitives!”. In protest, Zelda replied: “What? Together, we just saved our Land from the jaws of destruction… is there no sense of goodwill?”. Snarling, Ganondorf replied: “What goodwill do you talk of, foolish child? You helped fulfil the purpose of consolidating my power over Hyrule’s throne. That’s all I needed from you. Now, time for you to get back into your line”. Enraged, Link replied: “What rubbish! I showed you who’s boss back at Hyrule Castle, hence you have no more claim to the monarchy!”. Laughing, Ganondorf replied: “That self-proclaimed law you’ve just invented has no grounding in Hylian Law. That imbecile Daphnes gave me the Golden Medallion, making ME the true King of Hyrule, further confirmed by Zelda’s abdication of responsibility!”. Link was on the verge of drawing his sword, however, Zelda grabbed Link’s wrist. “Link… by the written law of my ancestors, Ganondorf is right. He is the King now. Of course, we can stand against him once again, but, after this brutal fight we have just come out of… I no longer want our people to suffer and risk their lives any longer. Let him win… just for now”. With gritted teeth, Link moved his hand away from his sword. Ganondorf smiled and stated: “Now, let’s take these brats back to the Castle!”. Link and Zelda were about to stand up, when suddenly, a strong voice was heard. “Halt!”. Someone else then entered the Gerudo circle. It was Lady Nabosa. “And what do you want to add, Nabosa? You’ve already failed as my second-in-command. Say what you want now, before you are duly replaced!”. Nabosa folded her arms and replied: “Ganondorf, you are no King of this Land… you never were!”. Puzzled, Ganondorf stated: “I give you a chance to grovel before me, beg for forgiveness at my feet, and you blurt out this nonsense. You will be lucky if I decide to spare your life!”. However, Nabosa laughed. “That won’t be necessary”. With that, a number of Gerudo warriors pointed their spears at the Gerudo standing next to them. Ganondorf looked around in astonishment. “WHAT IS THIS?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF?!”. “Well, Your Highness, things aren’t always as they seem. And they aren’t always the way you think they should be. But if you’re in shock right now… you have no idea what’s coming”. She then began looking into the sky. Afterwards, she brought forward her arm and bent it, with fist facing towards her. Suddenly, something flew towards her. It then perched its talons on her arms. Link looked in amazement. “K…Kaepora Gaebora… what are you doing here? And how do you know of Nabosa”. The owl replied: “Well Link, you are about to find out, HOOOT!”. With that, Nabosa placed the owl to the ground. She took a few steps back, brought out a small jar and poured what looked like black powder over the owl. The figure of Kaepora Gaebora began to expand in the smoke. It
then began to take the shape of a human. Once the smoke began to clear, the figure was clearly sporting a Royal robe and a crown. As the smoke cleared further, golden hair could be seen. After the smoke cleared, everyone stood in a daze. Link’s jaws dropped. Ganondorf’s face displayed a mixture of disbelief and rage. Zelda’s eyes immediately teared up. “F… Father”. Link added: “King Daphnes?”. Ganondorf’s fist began to tighten in anger. “H… How… HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!! I FINISHED YOU WITH MY OWN BLADE?!”. King Daphnes replied: “Well Ganondorf, it seems you made a fatal miscalculation…”.
7 Months Earlier, Moments before Ganondorf’s Throne Usurpation
A group of Hylian Knights were hastily carrying the seriously wounded body of the King to the Castle Infirmary. Once they reached, they put him onto one of the beds and exclaimed to the head physician: “Quick! His Highness is losing a lot of blood. If we don’t act fast, Hyrule will lose its King”. Inspecting the wound, the physician gave a grave look and replied: “I’m… I’m not sure much can be done. The wound is most certainly looking fatal”. All of the knights put their hands on their heads with faces looking downwards. Suddenly, a figure entered the room. They turned around to see a Gerudo. It was Nabosa. One of the knights brought out their sword and pointed it at her neck. “Gerudo filth! You are responsible for our King’s predicament. And you have the gall to show your face here? You are going to be locked up, key thrown away!”. Nabosa simply replied: “By all means, throw me into the dungeons. But know this, you will also lose your only way of saving the King”. The knight lowered his sword. He stated: “What are you saying?”. Nabosa then brought out a bottle. She went up to the King’s body and poured its contents all over his wound. Suddenly, the King’s body began to change. A few moments later, the King’s body was transformed into an owl. The knights looked confounded. The owl looked left and right and brought out its wings. “Hoooot! What is this? An owl? You didn’t tell me this would happen”. Nabosa replied: “Right you are, Your Highness. As I predicted, Ganondorf mortally wounded you with his poisonous blade. I managed to get here in time to give you the antidote, but I couldn’t tell you everything about its effects. As its potency is not tolerated in a normal, Hylian body, it causes the body to transform into another form. In your case, it has turned you into an owl. But you don’t have to be in this form forever. Once the wound is fully healed, I can use another antidote to turn you back to your normal Hylian form”. To this, the King replied: “That won’t be necessary for some time. Ganondorf, in his masquerade as Fronangond is one of the most powerful warriors I have ever seen. Now that I know he wields one of the pieces of the Triforce, his rise to power is inevitable. Hyrule will need to undergo a period of hardship. But… this was the only way. Link and Zelda are the only ones who can rise to take him down. I must put my faith in them. In the meantime, remaining in this form would keep me hidden from Ganondorf’s nefarious clutches and at the same time, I can guide those kids wherever I can, albeit in a very limited capacity. Thank you, Nabosa. You have shown my faith in you wasn’t misplaced. Now, what sort of name can I generate for myself…”.
Hyrule Field, Present Day
“Yes, before that fateful day, Nabosa managed to infiltrate the Castle, reach me and tell me the absolute truth about Fronagond. However, there was no way for me to prove who he truly was all that time. It is against Hylian Law to accuse and incarcerate a senior member of
the Royal Administration without damning evidence. Which is why I decided to give him the Golden Medallion. It would prove to be the trigger for Ganondorf to reveal his true hand and set his usurpation of the throne in motion”. Hearing this, Ganondorf pointed his trident towards Nabosa and screamed: “TRAITOR… HOW DARE YOU!!! YOU BETRAYED YOUR KING, YOUR PEOPLE!”. Nabosa replied: “No, it was your poisonous ideals which betrayed our people!” Ganondorf then gripped his trident and charged at Nabosa. Suddenly, he felt a crippling pain on his right calf. It brought him tumbling to the ground. He looked right to see Zelda’s eyes glowing blue and her Bow in hand. Link then went up to Ganondorf and pointed his Master Sword to his neck. “If you attack one of us, you will have all of us to answer to”. Upon this, Holu flew in and pointed his spear. Likewise, Darbus also approached and brought out his Megaton Hammer. Zelda readied another light arrow. Ganondorf looked around. Gritting his teeth, he dropped his trident to the ground and put his hands in the air.
Castle Courtroom, One Day Later
It was turning out to be a long, arduous wait. Link, Holu, Darbus, the 2nd Zora Prince, Imbelius and Impa were sat on a long bench on one side of the courtroom. On the opposite end, there was a throne which was occupied by the returning King, Daphnes Bospheramus Hyrule and standing to his right was Zelda. For this day, she had switched from her normal pink and white attire to a blue and white dress. A sense of tension and apprehension was etched upon everyone’s faces. Suddenly, the door at the side of the courtroom opened. A guard entered the room. Behind him entered Ganondorf, hands cuffed together. He was followed by another guard. A few moments later, Nabosa also entered the room. The guards led Ganondorf to the dock which stood to the side of the throne. He slowly made his way there and once he was fully inside the dock, stopped. The King then stood up. “Thank you for all who have gathered today. We are here for the sentencing of the Gerudo Chief and former King of Hyrule, Ganondorf Dragmire. We shall now begin proceedings. Ganondorf, you have committed indescribable crimes against the Kingdom of Hyrule. Although by law, your Kingship was legitimate due to receiving the Golden Medallion by an incumbent King, you obtained this title through years of deception, along with attempting the assassination of the incumbent King. In addition, you have, in the last 20 years, kidnapped and murdered countless civilians with impunity and spread fear and division across the land. These are felonies which cannot go unpunished”. At this, Ganondorf’s returned an angry expression. “So, what is the point of your endless rambling? If your aim is to kill me, then cease boring me with your driveling nonsense. Finish what you utterly failed to do so 20 years ago and end my life!”. The King was unmoved. With a calm, stoic expression, he replied: “Yes, you are right. Such crimes indeed warrant imposition of the death penalty. However, there are certain things which cannot be ignored”. Ganondorf’s eyes squinted in interest. Link and the rest began to look at one another quizzically. “Upon conclusion of the Hylian-Gerudo War 20 years ago, the Hylian forces should, by law, have stood down and returned to Hyrule Castle. Instead, a voracious and over-zealous General who led the battalion abused the commandments of this law and decided to raid Gerudo Fortress, vandalizing, looting and even murdering some of the inhabitants, including, I believe, your niece”. Upon this, Ganondorf’s eyes protruded sadness and grief. “The actions of this battalion were unjustified and illegal. The Royal Family deeply regrets the events of that day and we, belatedly, offer our deepest condolences and sorrow, especially over the death of your niece. This, along with your indispensable role in defeating the demon
Demise, for whatever vested reason, means that in this case, an exception shall be made. Ganondorf, you shall be exempt from both the death penalty and incarceration in the Castle Dungeons”. A huge gasp could be heard. “Father, what is the meaning of this?!”, Zelda protested. All of the attendants, including Link stood up in anger. “Your Highness, you can’t be serious! He…”, but before Link could finish, the King put his hand out in a signal for silence. “He may have been exempted from the harshest punishments, but a punishment he shall still have. After taking everything into account, the Kingdom of Hyrule sentences you, Ganondorf Dragmire… to exile”. Everyone in the courtroom gave a look of shock. “You will be escorted to the Zora Sea and put onto a boat, where the harsh waves of the ocean will dictate your destination. You shall hereby never be allowed to set foot upon Hyrule ever again”. Ganondorf sniggered. “Foolish King, I wonder… do you really believe in your decision? You really believe I won’t return someday to take back what’s mine? The throne?”. At this, Link stood up and replied: “Should you return, we will take you down. And this time, you won’t be shown mercy”. Ganondorf laughed and replied: “Whatever you do, whatever you achieve in your life kid… never forget who made it possible, who taught you to become that warrior”. Ganondorf was on the verge of turning towards the exit, until something caught his eyes. He saw a figure standing at the back of the room. It was a woman with thick, long red hair and olive skin. She was wearing red clothing. However, the bottom half of her body was glowing a turquoise blue with flames of the same colour surrounding her. She looked deep into Ganondorf’s eyes. With a subtle smile, she gave a respectful bow, which seemed like a gesture of gratitude. Straight after this, her body disappeared in blue flames. For a moment, Ganondorf felt a hint of pride. But this was abruptly cut off when a guard stated from behind: “What are you staring at? Time to go”. Ganondorf turned around and walked towards the exit. He gave one last look towards Zelda and stated: “Don’t… don’t think this is over. As long as I have the Triforce of Power in my hand…”. With that, he left the courtroom.
Nabosa was signalled to stand before the King’s throne. “On behalf of the Kingdom, we thank you, Lady Nabosa. Your actions were of immeasurable benefit to the whole of Hyrule, including the Gerudo race. Given Ganondorf’s exile, the Kingdom now recognises you as the current Gerudo Chieftan. We hope that you, in contrast to Ganondorf, choose a different path for your people”. Nabosa replied: “For all of my life, I have solemnly believed that the animosity between the Gerudo and the rest of the Kingdom must cease. Rest assured, my leadership will be built on a foundation of peace and friendship and to end once and for all, the ostracization of the Gerudo and work towards a full integration into Hylian society. In order to begin the first step towards this, I would like to submit a proposal before you. The Gerudo are ready to do away with the prohibition of the free entry of races other than Gerudo into our fortress. However, this shall be extended to vai or women only. To demonstrate our disgust towards Ganondorf, we are yet unwilling to admit voe. Is this term acceptable to the administration of Hyrule?”. After a few moments of deep thought, the King replied: “Very well. If this condition is to bring peace between Gerudo and the rest of Hyrule, we accept. For any correspondence, the Castle shall send my daughter, Princess Zelda to Gerudo Fortress to attend to your needs”. Nabosa gave a bow and replied: “That is fine”. She looked towards Zelda and with a smile, stated: “After all, she knows the place very well”. She winked and turned back to be seated. The next to be summoned was Impa. The King stated: “Lady Impa, you may have started as an enemy to the Kingdom and served time in the Castle Dungeons. However, since the disbanding of the Legion of the Sacred Eye, your
actions since then have been solely to help those who were in danger at the hands of Ganondorf. One of those included the Princess herself, but not only did you save her life, you taught her to survive and become a formidable leader. All of these indicate that your presence as being the best of the Sheikah, along with your magnificent skills, would be an asset to the Kingdom. Since the outing of Ganondorf, the Royal Administration lacks a Head of Security and Senior Advisor. Additionally, the Knight’s Academy is in need of a new figurehead. As a result, I appoint you, Lady Impa as both my Senior Advisor and the Head of Security and Knight’s Academy”. For a moment, Impa stood motionless, as if she could not believe what the King had stated. A sense of worry and concern could be seen on her face. She looked towards Zelda, who gave her a smile and a nod. At this, Impa’s trepidation dissipated and she replied: “Your Highness, it would be a great honour and I accept these titles”. She then knelt to the ground for a couple of seconds and then returned to her seat. Next up was Darbus. The King smiled and spoke: “Darbus the Ventripotent. Long time, no see my friend! Firstly, we offer our condolences over what happened to Death Mountain. The Royal Administration is ready to assist the Goron in any manner necessary, including offering refuge in Castle Town”. Darbus began to laugh. “AAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! NO NEED TO WORRY YOURSELF OVER THAT DAPHNES!! WE’VE GONE BACK TO THE RUINS OF DEATH MOUNTAIN AND ACTUALLY FIND IT VERY HOMELY AND COMFORTABLE!! IT’S ALL BECOME A GIANT CAVERN! SO GOING FORWARD, OUR HOME IS NOW THE GORON CAVERNS! PLUS, IT’S MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR OUTSIDERS, HA HA HA HA HA!!”. The King smiled and replied: “Well, as you wish Darbus! Henceforth, your home shall be known as the Goron Caverns”. Darbus then went back to be seated. Imbelius, the Zora Prince came forward. “The Kingdom would like to give the Zora Race a special mention of gratitude for rapidly mobilizing their forces to aid in the battle. I understand that you acted in accordance to your pact with the Rito, but nonetheless, it was a most commendable feat. As a reward, the Royal Administration would like to assist the Zora people with refurbishing your domain without any ask of compensation. We hope this to be a sufficient token of gratitude”. In response, Imbelius simply bowed and replied, “Thank you” and began to walk back. “He’s a charismatic bundle of joy isn’t he?”, Link whispered to Darbus. Holu whispered back: “Imbelius isn’t even meant to be here. He’s the shy, introverted type. He’s merely filling in for his rather hyperactive, happy-go-lucky, ladies-man older brother Prince Sidon, who’s been on some mission outside Hyrule for some time now”. Their little chat was interrupted. “You can stop talking now Link. It’s your turn to come up”. Link promptly stood up and walked to the front.
“Ah, cometh the hour, cometh the man!”, exclaimed a jubilant King Daphnes. Then, striking a more sober tone, he continued: “The first time you walked through these doors, you were but a child. A boy who seemed unsure of himself and how to combat the opponent standing before him. But, since that day, I have seen you grow and progress and now, you stand before me not as a mere child, but as a fully-grown and mature man. One who is a formidable opponent for even the toughest of adversaries. Adding to that, you have demonstrated true fortitude to cultivate and control the power of the Triforce of Courage and eventually, the inevitable harnessing of its true potential. As a result… you are no longer a junior knight”. The King signalled one of his guards to bring him a chest. Upon receipt, he opened and turned it so that Link could see the contents within. Link’s face went into shock. He took a few steps back to gather himself. “No… no way. You’re joking right?”. Inside the chest was a radiant blue tunic. It had white lining around the borders and the symbol of a sword at the front. “Link… from this day onwards… you shall be known as a Champion of Hyrule!”. Those words were hardly sinking in. The title of Champion was an honour given only to one the King deemed to be the Land’s true, unreserved protector. It was earned through a true act of valour shown in extraordinary circumstances. Link kept on talking about how he dreamed of becoming the greatest knight in all of Hyrule, but, he had never envisaged he would ever attain such a rank. He also knew what was coming next. “As a new Champion, you have the mandate of creating your own team of warriors, one from each race”. Without a moment’s hesitation, Link replied: “The four standing before me. Holu, Darbus, Nabosa and Imbelius”. The King smiled and replied: “Very well. Now, that concludes our summit today”. Link gave his trademark wink at Zelda, who giggled in response. However, Holu stood up and declared: “Is there no love for me?”. The King replied: “I have already spoken with the Rito Chieftan and given him something I cannot disclose here today”. Holu stated: “Well, I guess I did have a purpose today. I have brought a special gift for you and the Princess from the Chieftan himself”. Both the King and Zelda looked in intrigue as the door at the back of the courtroom opened. Two Rito guards entered and stood at either side of the door. Then a figure walked through. It was a female. She had prominent light brown hair and dark blue eyes. She wore an all-pink dress. The King stumbled back onto his throne. “Hello, my sweet Zelda”. Tears immediately began flowing down Zelda’s cheeks. “M… mother”. Initially, Zelda took a few steps forward. She then ran towards the newcomer and hugged her tightly. Zelda began crying hysterically. “Where… where did you go mother? I waited so long for you to come back to me, I looked everywhere for you”. Also crying, Zelda’s mother replied: “I was always in your heart my child. Always looking out for you, no matter where I was and what state”. She then put her hands on Zelda’s face and stated: “You’ve grown into such a beautiful and noble young lady… I… I couldn’t be prouder of you”. Zelda again put her arms tightly around her mother and rested her head on her chest. “Please… please don’t ever leave me again”. Zelda’s mother then kissed her daughter’s forehead and replied: “I promise, my sweetheart”. The King then approached and embraced both of them. With a few tears also coming out of his eyes, he stated: “After all of these years, my entire family is back together again. Welcome home, my Queen!”. The emotion could be felt all across the room. Even Link shed a few tears at the scene.
That afternoon, Link went back to the Knight’s Academy. “Wow, what a journey. From a kid who was scared to draw a sword against a monster to a Champion! That really is something he he! But, with my own set of warriors, looks like my new journey is just beginning!”. He went to the training courtyard and drew his sword. He charged at the training mannequin and aimed a powerful blow. He then heard the sounds of applause behind him. He turned around to see Zelda. With her usual smile, she stated: “So, Mr Champion, back to the warrior grind I see, he he”. Link sheathed his sword and with a cheeky smile, replied: “Well, Princess. It can be more than just back to the grind…”. Zelda began to slowly walk up to him. “Well… now that you’re a Champion and all… your words may have more weight…”. Link’s heart began to pound. Was this the moment? Was this the golden opportunity he’d been waiting for? “Zelda… I… I have dreamt of this moment… for years”. Zelda came close to him. “Link… the moment of truth is now here… I…”. Suddenly, she brought forward her foot and tripped Link to the ground. Laughing, she stated: “The truth is… you’re still not the toughest fighter in the land. You have some ways to go before you can best me”. She gave a wink
before turning around and walking away. Completely vexed, Link bellowed: “Hey! Excuuuuuuse me Princ….” (Screen goes to black).
Mid-credits Scene: The Lost Woods
A figure was walking around in the Lost Woods. It was Saria. She was, as was usual for her, singing her beloved Ballad of the Forest. However, her singing was taking on a more sober tone than usual. Tears were flowing down her eyes. For all the centuries she had been alive, no one had touched her heart as much as Link. Those few days she spent with him were akin to decades. And when he’d left, it felt like a gaping hole in her life. She tried to distract herself with these long walks, but to no real avail. She missed Link desperately and would give anything to be in his presence again. Suddenly, whilst walking past a tree, something resting beside it on the ground caught her eyes. She walked up to it and in curiosity, knelt down and picked it up. She looked at it for what seemed like several minutes. Her tears began to subside. The sad and empty expression made way for a face demonstrating anger and frustration. She stared longer still at the object she was holding. Then, the expression of anger was replaced with an eerie smirk. It was the type of smirk completely uncharacteristic of Saria. A smirk of menace and cunning. Saria begins to bring the object closer to her face. It was a mask, in the shape of a love heart. It was predominantly red and purple with mysterious markings all over. One the sides, it had yellowish spikes. But most strikingly, the mask had giant red and yellow eyes with small, green pupils.
Post-credits Scene: Castle Throne room
It was a clear noon. The King was in a meeting with his Generals and most importantly, Impa, leaving Link and Zelda in the throne room. “Well Link, with no real threat facing Hyrule at this time, it would be a golden opportunity for you to gather your warriors and begin training. After all, the Champion does need to get to work, he he”, stated Zelda. Link replied: “All in good time Zelda. Maybe, I could take them all to my farm. Aryll has gone through some rough times, so bringing the team together over there is sure to entertain her”. Zelda giggled and replied: “Well in that case, I could join you. Aryll is such a sweet girl, I would love to spend some time with her, girl-to-girl”. The conversation was interrupted when a party of guards came storming in. They were holding a figure in a blue cloak and hood. “Princess, we found this suspicious person loitering around the Castle grounds. Upon arrest, he was insisting that he wanted to see the King. Shall we…”, but before the guard could finish, the cloaked figure elbowed one of the guards holding him and crouched down. The guards all tried to grab it, but having set itself free, the figure took back its sword and dodged all of them. It then slashed them all one-by-one and knocked them unconscious. Link immediately brought out his sword and Zelda her bow. Link exclaimed: “Whoever you are, I’m about to skewer you if you don’t begin talking”. Zelda added: “Identify yourself, criminal, and we may spare you”. At this, the cloaked figure put their hands to the air. They replied: “This is not how it seems. I just wanted an audience with those in charge of this Land, that’s all. I assure you, I come in peace”. Link replied: “Reveal yourself first, then we’ll talk”. Upon this, the figure removed their cloak. They were also wearing a strange type of mask, which they also removed. This revealed a man who looked around the age of Link and Zelda. He was wearing a dark blue tunic, a blue cape, black trousers and long, brown boots. But what was most intriguing was a thin, golden crown resting on his thick, blue hair. With
her eyes opening wide, Zelda stated: “He… he is Royalty from another Land”. The newcomer smiled and replied: “Ahem, sorry for the rather unorthodox introduction. I am Marth, Prince of Altea… and I really need your help”.
The End
*****
After almost a year, this finally brings me to the end of the live-action trilogy fan-fiction pitch. Inevitably, there were a whole host of Easter Eggs and homages paid to various games, so here we go:
When Link leaves the forest and enters Hyrule Field, he is faced with a group of moblins. These are moblins inspired by the ones seen in Ocarina of Time, but given they were initially extinct, Ganondorf revives them with a ritual during the blood moon. This is an Easter Egg to the iconic blood moon mechanic in Breath of the Wild, where every few days, moblins and other enemies are revived. Additionally, the moblin face-piece Link obtains from Holu is a call-back to the moblin mask Link can buy in Breath of the Wild to disguise himself from moblins.
Coming to the part at the farm, it is revealed that Link’s younger sister is called Aryll, inspired by the character Aryll from Wind Waker, who is also Link’s sister in that game. When Link races the main head-hunter moblin for control of the farm, it is an Easter Egg to both Ocarina of Time where Link races Ingo for Lon Lon Ranch and Twilight Princess, where Link combats King Bulbin. He also recreates the iconic victory stance from the Bridge of Eldin in Twilight Princess to scare off the moblins. Next, the whole scene of Sheik’s reveal to her capture at the hands of Ganondorf is a direct homage to the events of Ocarina of Time before Link infiltrates Ganon’s Castle. Additionally, the enemy he fights before Zelda’s capture is meant to be Phantom Ganon, inspired again by Ocarina of Time.
In the scene of Zelda’s interrogation, Ganondorf talks of his past and his niece, Riju. She is, albeit much younger, meant to be inspired by the character from Breath of the Wild. The fact she is Ganondorf’s niece is homage to the theory that Riju is in some way related by blood to Ganondorf. Also, her dialogue of “the wind, it is blowing”, is a call-back to the dying words of Ganondorf in Wind Waker, given that the whole scene is a flashback and a means of Ganondorf revealing part of his motivations. This is all meant to portray Ganondorf as a sort of sympathetic villain, a view many fans share of Ganondorf and something I feel a movie could execute really well.
One of the opening dialogues of Breath of the Wild is where Zelda tells Link that he is “the light to shine upon Hyrule once again”. This is referenced just before Link goes into battle with Ganondorf. Later, Ganondorf’s transformation into Beast Ganon is very much inspired by the final battle of Ocarina of Time, but Zelda’s involvement with the Bow of Light is inspired by the final battle of Wind Waker. Additionally, Link’s final blow to end the battle is inspired by his finishing blow on Ganondorf in Twilight Princess.
Now we have the appearance of Demise as the ultimate villain of the whole trilogy. However, I decided on a very different initial portrayal of the character. Straying away from his cold and collected demeanour from Skyward Sword, I wrote him as an epitome of chaotic evil. A complete maniac and sadist who revels in death and destruction. In addition to his snarky persona, I imagined his appearance to be skinny and with black flames, however, after his battle with Ganondorf, he reverts to his appearance and persona that is more faithful to the Skyward Sword portrayal.
When Link and Zelda are rescued by Holu and Impa, I decided on a fun play on the “open your eyes” dialogue with Holu. Rito Village in this story is directly inspired by Breath of the Wild in all aspects. Additionally, the pact between the Zora and Rito is a nod to their closeness and descension as explained in Wind Waker. When Zelda gives her war speech before the battle, it has nods to both Breath of the Wild (courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten) and the opening scene of Smash Bros Ultimate’s World of Light mission, where Zelda says the words “Stow your fears, it’s now or never”.
During the final battle, when Demise calls Ganondorf and the Triforce of Power his “vessel”, this is an original twist on the whole concept of Demise’s Curse, however, rather than being a mere curse, it serves the purpose of being a means of Demise ultimately resurrecting. Following the battle, the owl Kaepora Gaebora is revealed to be the King of Hyrule the whole time. Although this is something unseen in the games, it is loosely inspired by the King being the King of Red Lions in the Wind Waker, given he guides Link and Zelda in both this fan-fiction and the game. Ganondorf’s sentencing and exile is also a twist on many of Ganondorf’s eventual fates in the games, especially Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess where Ganondorf is ultimately banished to the Sacred Realm and Twilight Realm. This is exacerbated by his final dialogues from both games.
As for the other characters, Nabosa’s pre-condition of only allowing women of other races into Gerudo Fortress is directly inspired by Breath of the Wild, where the same criterion of admission is seen. Darbus calling the ruins of Death Mountain the Goron Caverns is a nod to Hyrule Warriors, where the Gorons reside in a place called the Goron Caverns. When the second Zora Prince, Imbelius meets the King, Holu namedrops Prince Sidon, who’s character description is directly inspired by the huge fan favourite from Breath of the Wild. Link’s Champion shirt is very much the same one from Breath of the Wild and the whole concept of “Champion” is borrowed from the game, although the concept of Link having his own team as a Champion is a novel concept. Next is the emotional reunion of the King and Zelda with the long-lost Queen. Her appearance is very much based on the iteration of Zelda from Adventure of Link, additionally given that Zelda from that game woke from a long sleep and we were subsequently met with two generations of Zeldas. Another detail to mention here is that Zelda’s attire in this scene is inspired by the one she sports in A Link to the Past.
Now, I have to make a special mention to the very final dialogue of the film. How could I not have Link say the iconic “Excuuuse me, Princess” line from the cartoon in a live-action film? It simply has to happen! Coming to the mid-credits scene, if you haven’t figured already, the object Saria finds in the forest is indeed Majora’s Mask. Given that I assume this trilogy to be a roaring success, this scene is meant to tease an expanded Zelda Cinematic Universe, where the potential for additional stories exists. Conversely, the post-credits scene is meant
to tease an expanded Nintendo Cinematic Universe, where the land of Altea from Fire Emblem also exists in the same world as Hyrule. Marth’s appearance here is inspired by the Fire Emblem game Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, where the main plot point is Marth fleeing his homeland of Altea, which has been taken over and conquered by the Kingdom of Dohlr and takes refuge in the nation of Talys. In this story, Marth has instead fled to Hyrule to seek help from the Kingdom. This scene would act as a set-up to a Nintendo team-up movie including franchises such as Zelda, Fire Emblem, Kid Icarus and Xenoblade Chronicles. A full-on Smash Bros movie would probably require the meeting of different universes, given that I would like to think characters from actual movies such as Sonic and Pikachu would be main features of such a film and would require a wide-scale colliding of universes. So, to follow hot on the heels of this Zelda trilogy, a movie bringing together characters from lands which can feasibly exist in the same world would be the more practical move.
So, there you have it! If Nintendo are at any time planning to bring the Legend of Zelda to the big screen, here is a full-on trilogy story mapped out for them.