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Endgame	By : RyuaAlba Category: Zelda > General Views: 26666 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, or any of the characters or regions or names associated with it. I make no money from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
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Author's Note: As always, thank you so much to everyone who reads, follows, and reviews this story. I'm pleased so many people are enjoying it.
"Korbor, respond."
It was the fifth time Midna had sent to her lieutenant. Most of the Twili were still in the Twilight Realm, ready to appear in Hyrule wherever they were most needed, but several were spread out with the armies of Holodrum and Labrynna. Being able to communicate effortlessly, even travel almost instantaneously, was a gift peculiar to the Twili, and it had been of immense help so far.
It had actually been the deciding factor in convincing the two nations to ally with her, that and her knowledge of Hyrule itself. Being powerful mages was also important, especially when invading a country like Hyrule, but it was their unique ability to communicate securely and quickly that had really gained her their alliance. It meant the closer Labrynna could coordinate to arrive at the same time as Holodrum's experienced army, to hold Hyrule helpless between two forces and force a surrender.
Midna had stayed with Labrynna's army, since it would be travelling through the wasteland guarded by Gerudo and it would be needing the extra defense. They had been large enough to keep scouting parties from trying to attack, and the occasional display of Twilight magic had been more than enough to discourage any more concerted attempt.
However, this meant that she'd had to leave the guidance of Holodrum's force mostly to another Twili. Korbor had been an old friend of hers before her exile by Zant, and she'd been pleased to find him still alive. He was a very adept mage, but more importantly, shared her belief that capturing Hyrule was preferable to destroying it. They had been in very regular contact since the armies began their march… until now.
"Damn you Korbor, where are you?" Midna hissed, trying to force contact with any of the Twili in the Holodrum contingent. She didn't want to risk any more of her people if something had gone wrong… perhaps the Ordon spirit was interfering with their magic. That could explain it… but Midna couldn't shake the worry settled into the pit of her stomach.
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Link wasn't sure how long they'd stayed in Ganondorf's tent talking. Long enough that the moon had moved more than a handspan in the sky, at least. He felt… well, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt.
First, there was anger and fear about Ordon. Was the village safe? Were his friends alive, had they escaped, were they being held prisoner? How many other small settlements and farming communities had been taken hostage? Too many questions, and no way to get answers. Only the Twili could transport across a country in the blink of an eye, and scrying had shown only nightmarish glimpses of bodies and flaming houses in the darkness.
He was worried about what this meant about Midna. Had she betrayed them all? Had she always planned to? Or as Zelda suggested, had she just lost control of her armies? And if that was the case, how would they manage? They didn't have the strength to fight off two armies in completely different directions, and Link was agonizing about being on the wrong side of Lake Hylia from the battling.
For the first time since he'd learned of his existence, Link found he had no intention of killing Ganondorf now. The Gerudo was his best bet at rescuing his friends if they were even still alive, and by far he was their best shot at keeping Labrynna's army from boiling into Hyrule from the east. Their own sentries had spotted campfires far distant in the night, and a party of Gerudo scouts had arrived an hour or so ago to report on their exact position and numbers. It was not encouraging, they were outnumbered at least ten to one, although they were still several hours of travel away.
So both he and Zelda had agreed to not try and kill him. Ever since, Link had felt oddly heavy. Not reluctant, he had no thoughts that siding with Ganondorf was the wrong course. He'd been glad to get out into the open air with Zelda, after far too long discussing battle strategies, abilities they'd kept to themselves, discussion about what they would be doing about Midna. Ganondorf's vote was to kill her flat out, Zelda refusing to make a decision about it until they'd spoken to her. Link was surprised to find himself… well he didn't really want to kill her without a chance to ask why she'd done it, but he was angry enough that he wasn't really planning to defend her either.
Link reflected that yesterday, if you'd asked him what his plans would be if he got to spend the night alone with Zelda, they would have included a lot of nakedness and laughing and delight. Tonight, though, he had no intention of taking off his chainmail, and Zelda likewise only unbuckled the most awkward pieces of armor. He groaned as he unbuckled his sword belt, easing it to the ground with a feeling of relief. It was oddly heavy in his hand, although it didn't hit the ground any harder than usual.
He put it out of his mind, just enjoying the feeling of lightness as he lay down beside Zelda, draping an arm over her as she curled against him, seeking warmth or reassurance or just the closeness of someone she trusted. They talked for a bit in the dark, but it had mostly all been said already. "You'll watch out for me tomorrow?" she asked softly as she was drifting off to sleep.
"Of course," he replied, kissing her ear softly and shifting into a more comfortable position beside her. Even if he was still uneasy about a lot, the one thing he was positive about was that he'd protect Zelda with everything he had. It wasn't exactly a happy thought, but it was at least something solid and true that didn't make him feel awkward at all, and focusing on it let him drop off to sleep.
Not that he slept well, haunted by images of the children from his village killed or dying, of his home burning, the rest of Hyrule devastated by shadowy armies he couldn't quite see. He'd see Zelda cut down, or blasted by dark magic or captured and used by dark enemies and he'd jerk awake, feeling her warm soft body against him, and slowly ease back asleep again.
When an oddly familiar, translucent spirit wafted into the newest unhappy dream, Link didn't even react at first. Somehow, her presence filled him with reassurance, until he stopped and actually looked at the faceless blue sprite. "Master, what have you done?" she asked, although he couldn't say why he was so certain it was female.
"I don't know what you mean," Link answered, confused. The spirit was flickering, faint, like a candle in a breeze. "Who are you?"
"I have been with you since I freed you from a beast's form," she replied, and he was chilled to realize she wasn't speaking modern Hylian, although many of the words sounded almost familiar. And yet he could understand it perfectly. "I do not have the strength to speak for long, so listen well. Long ago, I was forged to defend Hyrule from the Lord of Darkness, the Demon King. I was forged for the Hero of Farore, and have ever since served him when needed. So I ask you again, why have you abandoned your fight?"
"You're the Master Sword," Link said, finally comprehending. "And you're created to fight Ganondorf…."
"Master, I could predict no reason to ally with the Demon King. Why would you do this?" Her form flickered more, fading into the background.
"Because he's no longer Hyrule's enemy," Link said, feeling a bit of surprise as he did. He hadn't said it before, hadn't even thought it. But he realized now that he did believe it. Ganondorf might be his enemy, Link still hated him… but Hyrule itself needed him, had nothing to fear from the Gerudo.
"Then I can no longer serve you…" she whispered, fading to almost nothingness. "My form is still a sword and that you may use, Hero of Farore. But I will await the next Hero, the one who will oppose the Demon King as is right…"
Link awoke to the first beginnings of daylight, Zelda just stirring beside him. He reached instinctively for his sword, breathing a sigh of relief to still find it there. He wouldn't have been surprised to find it gone, but it was solid and cold under his fingers, reassuring and banishing the disturbing dream. It wasn't as heavy this morning either as he buckled it on… although it didn't feel quite right, a little too cold, a little foreign. He shook off the worry as nerves, there was certainly plenty to be nervous about in the coming day.
Combing Zelda's hair was calming, soothing for both of them. He could see some of the tension easing out of her as his fingers twisted her hair gently into a braid, and he pulled her back against him for a moment, just holding her. She reached up, squeezing his arms softly, then pulled away and stood up. "Let's go," she said, nodding to him.
Outside, the camp was just starting to awaken, the last shift of sentries stoking up the fires to cook breakfast. The sky was mostly clear, just a few high clouds painting pink and orange in the rising sun. In the daylight, Labrynna's army was too distant to make out yet, although Zelda knew that would change as they started to march. The dust kicked up in the desert bowl would be easily visible well before the people themselves would be.
"Eat something," Ganondorf said, moving up beside them. "I need you both at your best today." Zelda wasn't sure whether she was relieved or worried to see him looking quiet and pensive. It meant he was taking this seriously… but seeing him arrogant and cocky would go a long way towards making her feel reassured right about now.
"Do you really think we can do this?" Zelda asked softly, quiet enough that the rest of camp wouldn't here.
"I think we don't have a choice," Ganondorf pointed out. "But yes. Yes, we can." Last night, they'd sent one of the Gorons back to call up the groups of fighters behind them. They'd need the reinforcements, since they had no intention of letting Labrynna across the borders. They couldn't fight two armies at once, so Ganondorf's plan had been to demolish them here in the desert, and force them back, so they could race down around Lake Hylia and start to drive out the forces in Ordon. The Zora warriors had left last night, to instruct their people to do what they could to slow them down.
He wasn't hungry, but Link knew he'd need the energy, so he forced down breakfast anyway, putting on as calm a face as he could. Even he could see the nervousness in the rest of the group too, so he kept his worries from showing. He couldn't quite manage a smile… but that would probably seem reckless or uncaring anyway, so he did do his best to look ready for what was coming.
They were just packing up camp when the first plumes of dust were sighted out in the desert. "Let's go choose our battleground," Zelda said. She'd be letting Ganondorf and Link pick the site, of course, they both had far more familiarity with fighting a battle than she did. With the Gerudo warriors' guidance, they soon arrived at a place Ganondorf deemed suitable. It was a small hill, covered at least partially in tough desert-stunted grasses and plants, and would give them firm footing, surrounded by featureless sandy plain that their enemies would have to cross.
"I think this will do," Ganondorf said, pacing over the hill, liking the slight advantage of height and the solid advantage of good footing. The hill was a little smaller than the courtyard in Hyrule castle, and not exactly welcoming… but it would do well for a battleground. "Link, go ahead and summon them." He directed a Gerudo to take most of the horses somewhere safe, probably a canyon. With the exception of his stallion, none of them were warhorses, and would be a liability more than an asset.
They'd decided last night to proceed at first as if nothing had changed, and that assumed that Midna was waiting for Link to call her. A bit hesitantly, Link slipped his hand into one of his pouches, brushing over the Twilight gem Ganondorf had tucked carefully in place. The familiar twist of Twilight magic gripped him, his Triforce flaring hot for a moment, and then he was on four legs, viewing the world as a wolf again. The desert air smelled far richer to his nose, the ground pleasantly warm under his paws, and the shocked, scared responses from their Knights and Gorons clear to his ears.
Zelda laughed, breaking the tension, and walked over to rub Link behind the ears. Her complete lack of fear did as much to relax their allies as her words did, explaining what had happened. Link licked her hand and trotted to the tallest part of the hill. He took in a deep breath and started to howl, deciding on the simple, sweet lullaby he'd sung in the Sacred Grove. It would be recognizeable to Midna, but shouldn't sound too unnatural to anyone else. After three repetitions, Link stretched, and tried to shift back. His eyes flew open with surprise to find himself still in wolf form, and tried again.
Suddenly realizing that dream last night might have been more real than he liked, he trotted down to Zelda, nosing at her hand. She frowned slightly, but a touch of her magic had him reverting back to his human form with a sigh of relief. Ganondorf was directing their little army into defensive positions, leaving them a few moments of privacy. "What happened?" she asked softly.
"I couldn't change myself back," he whispered back. "Zelda… I think it's because of last night." He quickly outlined the dream as much as he could recall, sharing his suspicion that the sword itself refused to ally with Ganondorf.
"I don't like the idea of you going into battle unprotected," Zelda said. She didn't suggest there must be a way to fix it. She knew they couldn't give up the alliance now.
"It's still a sword," Link said, drawing it to reassure himself as much as Zelda. "And I could wield a sword long before I got this one. It'll be fine." The hilt felt cold in his hand, but not actively wrong, and it wasn't dragging him down to the earth anymore either. "Plus, I still have a bow."
"True enough," she agreed, still unsettled by the revelation. "Still, it could be worse. At least the Goddesses still clearly favor you."
Link smiled, feeling cheered by that reminder. He had turned into a wolf, and the Triforce was still warm on his hand. "That's true," he said. "We can do this."
"Good to see you're feeling optimistic," Ganondorf said, striding over and looking more energized as the dust cloud heralding the army approached. "Zelda, you should be mounted for this."
"No. Link should," she said instantly.
Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "Link is just as effective on foot as he is on a horse," he pointed out curiously.
"His sword doesn't like you," Zelda said flatly. "And I'm worried it's going to fail him at the worst possible moment."
"I think it's just gone dormant," Link said. "Really, it's fine. I can still use the sword, it just won't work as a source of magic for me anymore."
"Interesting," Ganondorf mused, looking thoughtfully at the sword strapped to Link's back. He was tempted to touch it now, just to see what would happen, but decided not to push his luck, or risk forcing the sword into being completely unusable for Link. "But he's right. I've fought you before, Zelda… and you're much better off mounted. Don't worry, he'll take good care of you, and he's almost as good in sand as he is on firmer ground." He dropped a hand onto her shoulder and guided her over to the waiting stallion.
"Svartur, this is Zelda. You take care of her as you do me." He said firmly, both hands holding Zelda possessively against him. The stallion stepped forwards, snuffling curiously to learn her scent, then nuzzled one of Ganondorf's hands. He broke into a smile and rubbed the velvety black nose, releasing Zelda and glancing down at her. "Of course, I'll be quite put out if you get him injured, so you'd better guard him well."
"I'm sure we'll get along famously," Zelda said, an odd smile playing at her lips as she stroked the great horse's neck. It was a little odd to see him being so possessive, so openly caring about something. She reflected that he treated her and Link much the same… well, now that he was done beating them into obedience anyway. Being treated as a possession wasn't exactly her favourite relationship style, but at least they were prized possessions. And if that was what it took to keep Hyrule safe, then she'd let herself be owned.
Waiting was hard, Link reflected. He'd never waited for a battle before, he'd always charged in, and he was fighting to resist the urge to do the same thing now. He'd checked carefully over his bow and Zelda's, ensuring both quivers were stocked and ready for use. His vial of red potion was in a pouch, well padded this time to help keep it from breaking if he fell again. It wouldn't truly heal him from an injury, but it would slow bleeding to a trickle and energize him, and every member of their group had a dose of the precious liquid. In the past, it had gotten him through plenty of tough places to a time he could rest.
He'd jerked up, an arrow in his bow when there were suddenly warriors right at the foot of the hill, but relaxed as he realized they were more Gerudo, coming to shore up their defenses… and force the incoming army to meet them here. Ganondorf sent them out into the desert to either side almost immediately, and soon there were spiked walls, caltrops, and angry bullbos scattered throughout, making a wide funnel leading to the island. He saw Zelda riding out along the lines on Ganondorf's massive horse, but he wasn't sure if she was casting magic or just speaking with the warriors.
The first wave of Hylian reinforcements arrived, a dozen of the nearest Knights, which caused both a great cheering up and a bit of depression as Labrynna's force finally came into view. Their own small defense seemed impossibly tiny, and the marching army seemed almost neverending. They stopped when they were just out of archery range, and a small convoy continued forwards, five or six people. Link wasn't sure whether the brilliant orange of Midna's hair among them was a relief or a disappointment, but he felt an odd sense of peace anyways as Ganondorf swung him up behind Zelda and they walked to the bottom of the hill to meet them. One way or another, their questions were about to be answered.
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Endgame