Part VII: "Martyr"

Around them the landscape had changed. It was now barren. Not a hint of life besides two Hyrulians, on Gerudo, and a swirling pink vortex in the sky.

"See that?" Ganondorf said as he pointed at the vortex. "That's my ticket to freedom." He chuckled to himself. "Just two more sages to go!"

Link gasped.

"Two?"

"Oh yes," Ganondorf said, grinning, "I forgot to tell you."

He snapped his fingers, and a moving picture appeared on the ground. It was Darunia. He was walking as he would any day into his chamber. Suddenly, an explosion rang out. Darunia's screams could be heard as the ceiling collapsed, and he was buried beneath tons of rock.

Zelda gasped. Link just closed his eyes.

"You...monster!" Zelda said. "How can you do such a thing?" Link stared at the ground for a few moments and then closed his eyes once more. Inside him, a conflict greater than any other raged. Eleven years ago he was forced to kill. Kill without question. Forced by destiny. Forced by one man...Ganondorf.

Link looked up. Hate burned in his mind, and his heart. He stared into Ganondorf's eyes. Ganondorf stared back. Whatever battle of wills was going on, Zelda couldn't even begin to understand.

Link drew his sword and began walking slowly towards Ganondorf.

"You...," Link stammered. "YOU CAUSED THIS! YOU got me into this! YOU are the reason I must kill! You have damned me. And you have damned my ancestors!"

Ganondorf drew his sword as well, a long, black blade, and began walking towards the still advancing Link. They met face to face and stopped.

"If I have my way," chuckled Ganondorf, "you won't HAVE any ancestors!"

Link narrowed his eyes.

"Over my dead body."

Ganondorf smiled.

"Gladly."

Link's eyes opened as wide as saucers. Ganondorf's sword had impaled him through the stomach. A large, deep read stain appeared on his tunic and began growing larger. Link collapsed onto the ground at Ganondorf's feet.

"NO!!!"

Zelda summoned the entirety of her magic power. With a scream she directed the energy at Ganondorf. Yellow bolts of lighting leaped from her fingertips and tore into Ganondorf's flesh. Blood spattered to the ground.

"DAMN YOU!" he screamed and vanished back into the twisted reality of his prison.

Zelda ran to her fallen husband and held him in her arms. Link opend his eyes.

"Finish...what...we started," Link said, slowly, with blood dripping from his mouth.

Link's body tensed, his eyes rolled back. Zelda solemnly took his sword and cut her lef hand. As she let the blood drip onto the hallowed ground, the Triforce marks on both their hands began to glow. And then, the mark on Link's hand disappeared. Zelda look at her hand. She now bore the marks of both the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage.

As the vortex in sky began to close, Zelda picked up her dead husband and held him until they vanished together, back to their own reality.

TO BE CONCLUDED...