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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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Zelda didn’t rest more than a few hours, waking up excited enough about learning Link’s location that she could ignore a lot of her tiredness. Even the short nap had done wonders for rejuvenating her powers, and seeing a bullbo roasting over the fire was even better. They smelled much better cleaned and cooked than they did alive, and everyone’s spirits were improved by the food and the victory.
A Gerudo warrior tending the fire handed her a slab of succulent, juicy meat on a piece of hard travel bread, and Zelda thanked her, far too hungry to care about manners or dignity. She tore into the food just as eagerly as anyone else, chatting briefly with soldiers as she walked about the camp. There was some sorrow, of course, all of them had lost friends today, but there was pride also for having protected their country and driven back a much larger force.
Satisfied that morale was as good as she could expect, Zelda wandered over to where the horses and few surviving bullbos were picketed. Svartur’s big head rose into view as she approached and he whickered at her peacefully. Ganondorf appeared from behind him, looking substantially better than he had the last time she’d seen him. He’d also found a loose, off-white shirt somewhere. “Ah, Zelda, you’re awake. And fed, I see. Feeling back to normal?”
“Getting there,” she said. Her reserves were still somewhat depleted, but they were replenishing even now. And while Ganondorf might be physically healed, she suspected his magics were in the same position as hers. “I think Link is in Ordon, in the healing spring there.”
“Damned boy,” Ganondorf growled. “What does he think he’s doing, flinging himself off to enemy territory while he’s half dead?”
“He’s got a lot of courage and a lot of compassion,” Zelda said wearily. “But not a large amount of foresight to go with it, I think. Still, he’s alive and safe for now.” She was sure she’d know if he was in pain or serious danger again.
Ganondorf tugged on Svartur’s mane affectionately and the horse nudged him back, probably hard enough that Zelda would have fallen over, but the towering Gerudo just swayed slightly. “I suppose having him behind enemy lines could actually be useful… provided we can contact him. Can you link some kind of spell with Midna?”
“Possibly,” she mused. It would certainly be a more efficient way of talking than visiting Link’s subconscious. “It should help with them being in the Ordon spring. Water like that will enhance a spell rather than interfere with it. I’ll go find something to use as a scrying basin.”
In the end, she cleaned and used a discarded chestplate, since the few pots they had with them were in use for mixing new batches of red potion. Propped up with rocks, it made a serviceable, if oddly shaped, pool of water. She knew the Ordon Spirit well enough to reach out to make contact, and found the spring reflected in her bowl. It rippled as another spell brushed against hers, then they melded and Midna’s exotic face swam into view. “Zelda! I’m glad to see you’re alright,” she said, her voice flat and distant through the spell.
“Me too,” Zelda said, smiling as she saw Link push his way into view beside her. A tight knot in her chest she hadn’t even been aware of eased at seeing him awake and healthy. “We were able to repel Labrynna’s army, although we did take heavy casualties doing so. How is Ordon?”
“It could be worse,” Link said, frowning, clearly thinking it could be a lot better. “We’re told a lot of the villagers escaped into the forests… but we can’t go searching for them without getting noticed, at least not in daylight.”
“So now we must make use of having the two of you directly in the heart of their foothold in Hyrule,” Ganondorf said from behind Zelda. “We can be on the Hyrule Fields tomorrow if necessary.”
“We shouldn’t rush this,” Zelda said, shaking her head. “I want them gone too, but at the least cost to our own people. That means we take the time to plan and ensure there are no mistakes.”
“Don’t plan too long,” Link protested. “The Goron line won’t last forever.”
“Agreed,” was Ganondorf’s reply. “Two days, then, to assemble our forces. We’ll be on the eastern edge of the Fields, how many do you think you can gather?”
“The three of us sitting in the spring right now?” Midna guessed. “These are farm folk, not great mages or battle-hardened warriors.”
“But we do have some fighters and hunters,” Link put in. He suspected his people would be eager to defend their homes, even if they didn’t have the training for it. “We’ll try to gather what we can, but I can’t promise anything yet.”
Zelda nodded, already planning. “Midna, how are your powers?”
Midna looked pensive, and a little uneasy. “I guess that depends on a few things, Princess. Link believes Ordona will be lenient about my use of the Fused Shadows as long as I’m fighting Holodrum’s army… but I’m not so sure.” Link had a good heart, a forgiving one. He saw Ordona as a benevolent guardian… but Midna could feel the steely dislike under the soft light and knew how much the spirit hated even the merest touch of blood magic.
“So, you need another source of magic,” Ganondorf said, rubbing his beard as he thought. He admired Link’s pluck and determination, but knew the boy would need more than that to break through an army, even from the inside. He’d need Midna’s strength at his side, until he got back to him and Zelda, at least.
“No Twili has ever been touched by a Goddess,” Midna said, shaking her head. “That’s kind of why we created the Shadows in the first place.”
“Can either of you ask your Goddesses to make an exception?” Link asked hopefully.
Ganondorf gave a snort of dismissive laughter at the same time Zelda shook her head. “No more than you could speak directly to Farore, Link. We’re their chosen… but they are… it doesn’t work that way.” All of the gods were a very different kind of being than the mortal Hylians… Zelda felt there was compassion in the way they watched over Hyrule, but distantly, the way she might take care of a school of fish in the castle moat.
“But I’ve talked to the spirits,” Link protested. “Eldin and Faron and Lanayru…”
“Who aren’t the Goddesses themselves,” Ganondorf cut him off. “Named for them, but they are not them.”
“Maybe that’s actually a good thing,” Zelda said slowly. “If you dismantle the Fused Shadows, and give the remaining energy to Ordona…”
Midna looked uncomfortable at the thought. She’d known in her mind that living in Hyrule meant giving up the Fused Shadows, but it was hard to seriously contemplate doing it. Still, if it needed doing… “I’ll offer… but there’s no surety that they can even be fully dismantled, they could only be broken before...”
“They can by Twilight Magic,” Ganondorf said, frowning at her. “And you well know it. That’s the price, Twili.”
She didn’t look happy, but when neither Zelda nor Link tried to temper the deal, she nodded. “Alright. I’ll try, but it’ll be up to Ordona in the end.” Even if Ordona would listen to her, there was no guarantee the spirit would want the job of purifying the magic… or would be willing to grant her magic from this world afterwards.
“You’re going to have to give it up one way or another,” Zelda said, not unkindly. “At least this way, you might get something in return. Good luck, and contact us again when you know more, alright?”
Link nodded, and Midna reached forwards, swirling the water in the spring and breaking the spell. Link peered at her, touching her shoulder. “You don’t look happy.”
“I’m about to destroy my people’s way of life… in many ways, our identity,” Midna said, shrugging. “I know it’s the right move, but that doesn’t make it easy. This is going to take some time, I have to make sure all of my people are in Hyrule, and in useful locations, before I break the Shadows.”
“I’ll come with you, if that would help,” Link offered.
Midna just looked at him, a hint of her old mocking humor visible in her expression. “You can help by staying here, safe, and healing up. Besides, you’re too small for me to ride now.”
He tried for lighthearted. “Is that a comment about my height as a wolf, or should I be offended?”
She actually laughed, and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Well, maybe not all of you is too small. We’ll have to experiment when all this is over. Now stay here and be good. I’ll be back when everyone’s prepared.”
Midna dissolved into Twilight, and Link jumped when Colin spoke up; he’d honestly forgotten the boy was there. “I thought you were gonna marry Princess Zelda,” he said, sounding faintly accusatory.
“It’s, um… complicated.” That’s an understatement and a half. “Midna’s an old friend of mine, I’m not going to…”
“Link, I’m not four,” Colin said, rolling his eyes. “I can tell she likes you… even if I don’t know exactly what you two were talking about.”
That was just great. “Ah, Colin… this isn’t the right time to be worrying about that kind of thing anyway. I’ll figure it out after we all get out of this alive. Now, why don’t you show me how much you remember about swordplay?”
Happy to change the subject to something else, Colin drew his sword to demonstrate. It seemed a little shorter now than Link remembered, maybe a tiny bit lighter, more fitting to the child’s hand. Either way, Colin used it like an extension of his own body, in a way the boy had never been able to manage before. If he’d had any doubts that he was supposed to give the Master Sword to Colin, they were gone after a few minutes of demonstrations. The sword was definitely enhancing his abilities, taking away that nervous hesitation that had always held him back before and giving him the confidence of someone who had used a sword for years. A small part of him was pleased that the Master Sword would stay active in Hyrule… just in case.
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Endgame