Part III: "The Meeting of the Sages"

Link found himself in the Chamber of the Sages. All was left as it was when he had visited last. To him, eleven years ago. One by one, all the sages appeared at their respective podiums, except for one. The brown stand for the Sage of the Spirit remained empty.

"We are all in danger," a voice said behind him. Link turned and saw Impa standing as she usually did, her arms crossed on her chest. "He will not stop until he has hunted us down and murdered us all."

"He knows no love," said Saria. "The evil in his heart is pure."

"The darkness that has flooded the Sacred Realm must remain there," continued Ruto. "Let no more of his minions escape!"

"The stone of the seal that binds him has cracked," said Darunia. "His power seeps through, not to be stanched."

"There is only one way to repair the broken seal," Rauru finished. "The blood of all three holders of the Triforce must be spilled upon the grounds of the Sacred Realm. Only then will Ganondorf and his evil followers remain in their sacred prison."

Link nodded, knowing what was ahead and asked, "But what will happen afterward? Won't we become trapped as well?"

Rauru shook his head, "We will be able tp pull you out before the seal completely reforms." Rauru closed his eyes, reflecting inside himself the terror that lay ahead. "Go now. Return to your wife's side. The plan shall commence tomorrow morning at the first hint of dawn."

All at once, the five sages vanished in a brilliant flash of light, leaving Link alone for a split second before he vanished as well. He found himself once again at the side of his beautiful wife Zelda, Princess of Hyrule.

"That didn't take long," Zelda commented casually as she turned to face Link. "I suspected they'd keep you for their 'after-dinner songfests.'"

"Now, my dear," Link replied with a smile, "no pleasantries this time. All serious it seems."

Link quickly told Zelda what had transpired in his conversation with the sages.

"So," Zelda asked, "we have to once again risk life and limb to save Hyrule against unbeatable odds? What a joke!"

A booming voice rang out from thin air, "A joke indeed, my fair princess. For this time, you shall not win!"

A great blackness settled over the courtyard, and a huge, swirling void opened in the sky. From the void fell slowly to earth none other than Ganondorf himself.

"Ganondorf, NO!" Link exclaimed.

"Oh," Ganondorf continued, "don't worry CHILD! I can't remain here for long. My power still dwindles after YOU had to go and leave me in that horrid place. Have no fear, however, for soon I shall reign over this land once again! Oh, and by the way, dear Link. I've gone and killed someone again." Ganondorf grinned evilly. "Such a shame to see her go. She was a pretty little one! Perhaps you should go see your friends in the forest, hmm? HA HA HA HA HA!"

Ganondorf's maniacal (nice touch, huh?) laugh could be heard fading away as he floated upward and disappeared into the void from hence he came. Zelda looked around and noticed that Link was already gone. Riding. Riding on his faithful Epona to the forest where he grew up.

He found her at the bridge where they had said their first goodbyes. Now there was no saying goodbye. She hung from a tree limb. Gutted. Her dark red blood dripping to the gardens far below. And for the first time in his life, Link shed a single tear.

When Link returned to the castle and his beloved wife, he showed not a single sign of his true emotions. Instead, the two silently crept up to their secret hiding place, high in the tower, and spent that last night...together...