(ZGen)Spirit of a Hero

Synopsis: Ganon returns after three years and takes over. Link dies and Zelda disappears. Sheik leaves Hyrule with Zelda's newborn son, a baby boy with a triangle-shaped birthmark on the back of his hand... This is his legend.

NOTE: This story can be found on fanfiction.net here, and I will soon be posting it in the Fanfiction section of ZU's main site.


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The Spirit of a Hero—I—The Legend
DragonKnight19

In the annals of time, there exists a legend...

The Legend of Zelda...

According to legend, there once existed a beautiful and prosperous kingdom called Hyrule. It was a peaceful kingdom ruled by a wise and benevolent king and his daughter, Princess Zelda. He governed all the races of Hyrule with justice and equality, and everybody lived in peace.

Then one day, an evil man from the desert came and attacked without warning. Wielding one third of a sacred relic which gave him the Power of the gods, he usurped the throne and plunged the kingdom into darkness. Monsters began to multiply and spread across the land.

Then, just when all hope seemed to be lost, a young boy appeared as if from nowhere, wielding the long lost sword of evil’s bane, the Master Sword. The brave hero overthrew Ganon, the Prince of Evil, and restored peace to the kingdom. It is said that he then quietly slipped away from the land that he had saved, and went back whence he came.

This is not entirely true.

Sometimes it is necessary to alter the account of history to protect the future. To keep the hope of the future alive, the past must sometimes be altered by the present. Facts are obscured or changed so their consequences cannot be fulfilled. This is one such story.

Ganon’s rule had left Hyrule in ruins. After his defeat, Princess Zelda ascended the throne and led the kingdom into a period of reconstruction. Link stayed by her side and helped in the reconstruction, stamping out any vestiges of evil that still remained.

On the three-year anniversary of Ganon’s defeat, word came to the castle of an uprising in the desert. Link went to check it out, and instead found an ambush waiting for him. He escaped the ambush, but not before learning an awful secret: Ganon had returned, and had amassed an army to conquer Hyrule once and for all.

Link hurried back to the castle and informed Queen Zelda of the disturbing news. He then forged a great army of the people of Hyrule. Gorons and Zoras, Kokiri and Hylians, all of Hyrule rallied around the banner of Link. He had saved their kingdom three years previous, and they would gladly lay down their lives for him.

On the field outside of Hyrule castle itself, the final battle for Hyrule was fought. The Hylian Coalition Army fought to protect their homeland from the forces of evil. Though they fought bravely, they fell one by one to the sheer numbers of Ganon's army. Eventually, Link was the last man standing.

Link fought savagely, and one thousand slain Moblins lay scattered around him before the Prince of Evil, Ganon himself arrived. Caught between Ganon and his vast horde, Link fell at the hands of Ganon. As his body slumped to the ground, the Master Sword shattered into many pieces. The army then turned its sight on Hyrule Castle itself.

Queen Zelda gave birth to her newborn son just as the first wave of invaders broke against the castle gates. Caring more for her child’s safety than her own, she entrusted his fate into the hands of a lone Sheikah warrior and bade him to take her son out of the reach of danger. He then escaped out the back gate of the castle and disappeared into the night.

The task force assigned to protect the castle fell before the onslaught of monsters in only a short time. Within the span of two hours Ganon was once again the ruler of Hyrule. Queen Zelda disappeared, and with her went the people’s hope.

While all this was going on, Sheik wandered through the trees of the Lost Woods, bearing with him Zelda’s newborn son. He finally found what he was looking for: a dark, magical tunnel leading out of Hyrule. He looked back only once, then turned and left Hyrule behind him. He took with him the newborn heir to the throne, a baby boy with a triangle-shaped birthmark on the back of his hand...

The Spirit of a Hero—II—Seventeen Years Later
DragonKnight19

Keith gripped his sword tightly, waiting for his opponent to make his next move. Training in swordplay for an hour a day had been part of his daily training for as long as he could remember, but he never tired of it. Like his mentor, Sheik said, you could never be too good. Without warning, Sheik darted forward to attack, but Keith was ready for him. He parried Sheik’s blow and countered it with a slice to Sheik’s sword-arm. Since they used dull blades, it didn’t draw blood, but a successful blow left a bruise.

“Good job,” Sheik admitted, rubbing the spot on his arm where Keith had struck him. “That’s enough for today. You’re getting very good. Now, Let’s go on to your storytelling practice.” Storytelling was a part of Keith’s training that he didn’t cherish quite as much. “It had always been a cherished tradition among our people, the Sheikah. Now, tell me the story of Hyrule.”

Keith sheathed his sword and began his story. It was one he had heard from Sheik countless times before--of the beautiful land of Hyrule, ruled by a beautiful princess and protected by a brave hero.

“The kingdom of Hyrule,” he began, “was a beautiful, peaceful land ruled by the beautiful Princess Zelda. The harmony was upheld by three sacred relics, the Triforce. The Triforce resided in the Sacred Realm, where no mortal had ever stepped foot.

“Then one day, an evil wizard named Ganondorf seized the Triforce for himself, and used its power to cover the land in darkness. He changed his name to Ganon and became the King of Evil. But then, just as all hope seemed lost, a hero emerged from the forest, wielding the long-lost Master Sword. With this holy blade he overthrew Ganon and restored peace to the kingdom. Having finished his task, the Hero withdrew from Hyrule, never to be seen again.

“But his job was incomplete. Three years after his defeat, Ganon returned and once again took over Hyrule. But this time, there was no Hero to stop him. Princess Zelda disappeared, and with her disappeared the light of hope. All of Hyrule fell under Ganon’s evil grip.”

Sheik was always somber whenever this tale was told. This was because it wasn’t just a legend; Sheik and Keith were the only two survivors of Hyrule. On the night Keith had been born, his parents had told Sheik to leave Hyrule with Keith, that he may escape Ganon’s clutches. Now his parents were dead, victims of Ganon’s harsh rule.

“Okay, that’s enough for today,” Sheik said suddenly. “You may have the rest of the day off. I have some errands to run, so you on your own. Just stay out of trouble.”

After Sheik left, Keith put away his training equipment, then started thinking about what he wanted to do today. There was so much to do in Termina’s Clock Town. Keith had been living there with Sheik for almost seven years. It seemed like they were always on the move; his earliest memories were in a land called Labrynna, but they had to leave when he was five because Ganon invaded from Hyrule. Next they lived in Holodrum for another five years, before Ganon took over there, too. Now they were living in Termina, and had been doing so for almost seven years.

When they moved from Labrynna to Holodrum, and Holodrum to Termina, Keith remembered a series of long, dark “Warp tunnels.” Sheik had explained that they only allowed you to pass if you possessed magic, like the Sheikah of the Hylians, and even then, only for those who desperately needed to use them. So whenever Keith revisited the spot where they had entered Termina, in the basement of the clock tower, the tunnel was always sealed.

Keith smiled as he thought about Sheik’s mysterious errand. His mentor was always secretive about everything he did, but this time, Keith could guess what Sheik was doing. He was probably over at the Bazaar, looking at swords. After all, today was Keith’s seventeenth birthday, the day he became the same age as the Hero of legend, and Sheik had promised him a real sword for his birthday.

Keith decided to walk over to the Shooting Gallery and try to beat his high score of 53. Once you got that high, you start running out of time, so you almost had to predict where the Red Octoroks were going to pop up. But since today was his birthday, he was feeling lucky, so he decided to give it a try.

Keith was a regular at the Shooting Gallery, so the shopkeeper knew him well. As soon as Keith stepped into the store, the owner pulled out a bow and arrows and asked, “”Going to try to beat your high score, Keith?”

Keith smiled and said, “Of course. I’m seventeen today, so I’m feeling lucky.”

“Today’s your birthday?” the shopkeeper said. “Happy birthday! Go ahead, the game’s on me.” Keith thanked him, took the bow, and started the game. The Octoroks popped up in various patterns, and each time, Keith was careful to shoot only the red one,s and not the blue ones. When the buzzer sounded, Keith looked at the score counter and saw that it read 54. He had beaten his high score by one point.

“Well, well, you really did it,” the owner said, smiling. “You’re really something, kid. Here’s your prize.” He handed Keith a large, purple rupee, which was worth fifty Rupees. “Go buy yourself something nice.” Keith thanked the man and left the shop.

On his way home, Keith stopped by the item shop to buy himself something. He was going to buy a shield to go with his sword, but he couldn’t afford one. Instead, he bought a pet fairy. the merchant told him that they didn’t require much attention, and if you got hurt, they would heal you. He handed the merchant his purple Rupee, then stuck the fairy bottle into his knapsack.

Keith decided to go home and wait for Sheik. He went back to the small apartment in East Clock Town and walked through the door. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted with the obvious signs of a struggle. Furniture was overturned, papers and clothing were strewn everywhere, and everything was covered in the remains of a destroyed birthday cake. Sheik was nowhere to be seen. Even though he had been out of the house at the time, Keith already knew what had happened. “Ganon,” he muttered angrily, as rage welled up inside him. Ganon had taken his homeland, his parents, and now his mentor. Now he would pay. Keith turned and left, intent of saving Sheik.

The first place he went after leaving Hyrule was the Bazaar. Maybe the merchant there had seen something suspicious. Keith entered the shop and the merchant looked up and said, “Oh, hello Keith. Sheik was just in here a little while ago.”

“Yeah, I know,” Keith replied. “That’s what I want to talk to you about. did anything seem strange when he ws in here? Like was he nervous, or paranoid, or something? Like as if somebody was following him?”

“No, why?” the merchant asked. “Is something wrong?”

Keith shook his head. “No, he was just acting weird. Did he pick up my sword?”

“No, he didn’t,” the merchant said. “He paid for it, but told me to keep it until you arrived. Here, I’ll go get it for you.” He went to the back room to look for Keith’s sword.

So, Keith thought, Sheik must have known that something’s wrong. Otherwise he would have taken the sword home. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the merchant’s return.

“Here you go, Keith, take it. It’s yours.” He held out a beautifully made sword that gleamed in the sunlight coming in through the window. “Sheik named it the New Hero Sword. It’s perfectly made to fit your physical specifications, so it will feel more like an extension of your own body than a weapon, and nobody else will be able to wield it as effectively as you. It’s one of the finest weapons I have ever created. It should be, for what Sheik paid for it.”

Keith took the sword in his hand and felt its strength. It was lightweight, but also extremely strong. It was also perfectly balanced. All in all, it was the most perfect blade he had ever seen. He thanked the merchant, then left the shop and headed for South Clock Town.

When Keith and Sheik had first arrived in Termina, it was through a tunnel in the basement of the clock tower. The tunnel was the only exit out of Termina, and would only open for those in dire need of it. When Keith got there he found it open and waiting for him.

Keith stepped into the tunnel and started on his way back to Hyrule, his first time in seventeen years.

The Spirit of a Hero—III—Return to Hyrule

DragonKnight19

Keith wandered through the trees, taking in the sights of his homeland for the first time. Though the forest was dark and foreboding, and he was completely lost, he felt right at home. He was back in his homeland, the land where he had been born. Now he just had to figure out where to go.

Presently he came to a break in the trees and found himself in a clearing. Scattered around the clearing like fallen leaves were the ruins of old treehouses. They looked like they had been deliberately destroyed, and had obviously not been lived in for quite some time.

"You’re new to this land, aren’t you?" a voice broke the silence. Startled, Keith spun around and saw a green-haired little girl standing behind him. "I’ve never seen you before, and nobody ever enters the forest. You must have come from another land. Follow me, and I’ll show you the way out." The girl turned and started walking back into the forest. Keith had no choice but to follow her.

As soon as he caught up to her, Keith asked her, "Who are you?"

The girl kept walking, but turned towards him and replied, "My name is Saria. I am the spiritual leader of my people, the Kokiri. We once lived in that village, but Ganon destroyed it. We now reside in the Forest Temple. Funny, isn’t it? The Forest Temple, which was Ganon’s stronghold in this area during his first reign, now protects us.

"It is the same all throughout Hyrule. All five races were forced out of their homes when they were destroyed, and now live in their local temples. We Kokiri in the Forest Temple, the Gorons in the Fire Temple, the Zoras in the Water Temple, the Gerudo in the Spirit Temple, and the Hylians in the Shadow Temple. It is there, to the Shadow Temple, you will want to go."

Keith interrupted her suddenly and asked, "How do you know all this? And why should I bother going to the Shadow Temple? All I want to do is find Ganon’s Castle and save Sheik."

"You know Sheik?" Saria asked. "Then that is all the more reason why you should go to the Shadow Temple. Seek out Impa, the leader of the Hylians. She will be able to help you." She suddenly stopped in her tracks. "We have arrived."

Keith looked up and saw sunshine through the trees. Saria had led him out of the forest. "We are now at the edge of the forest," she told him. "If you go straight north from here, you will eventually come upon the ruins of Kakiriko Village. The entrance to the Shadow Temple is in the Graveyard. Goodbye, and good luck." She turned to go, but stopped and looked back at him one more time, and said, "I don’t know why, but for some reason, when I see you, I remember...him..." With that, she turned and disappeared into the forest.

Keith didn’t stop to dwell on the strangeness of the girl’s behavior. Every second he wasted was another that Sheik could be suffering, or worse. He set off north, following Saria’s directions to Kakiriko Village.

After a few hours of walking across a vast field, Keith finally spotted the ruins of a village in the distance. As he got closer, he saw that the destruction here was worse than in the forest. Ganon had obviously wanted to make an example of these people.

He made his way through the ruins in the direction of the graveyard. When he got there, he stopped and looked around. Unlike the village, the graveyard seemed to still be intact. Keith suddenly realized that Saria had not told him where in the graveyard he could find the entrance to the Shadow Temple. With no other option, he started wandering around, looking for signs of an entrance. As he was passing by an inconspicuous tombstone, the ground suddenly gave way beneath Keith’s feet and he fell down a deep shaft. He hot the bottom hard and landed flat on his back. Momentarily stunned, he just laid there, surrounded by the remains of the dead.

Suddenly, as pair of rough hands grabbed Keith and yanked him to his feet. He looked around and saw that he was being accosted by a pair of skeletons! "Alright, get on your feet," one of them said in a gruff male voice. Wait a minute, Keith thought. Skeletons can’t talk. Upon closer inspection, Keith saw that they were really two men dressed as skeletons.

"Well, well, what have we here?" asked the second one. "A spy of Ganon, perhaps? Our allies would have sent advance notice of their arrival."

"Spy of Ganon?" Keith echoed incredulously. "Never! How do I know you don’t work for Ganon?"

The first skeleton roared with laughter. "Who does this kid think he is, calling the Guardians of the Shadow Temple, servants of Ganon? Son, I’ve killed more Stalfos than you’ve taken breaths."

"My name is Keith," he told the guards. "I’ve returned to Hyrule to save my mentor Sheik. I need to see Impa."

"You know Sheik?" the second guard asked. "Why didn’t you say so? Follow me." He released his grip on Keith’s arm and walked off into the shadows. Keith hurried after him.

The guard led Keith through many dark, twisting tunnels, deeper and deeper into the Shadow Temple. Along the way, there were many disabled traps from when this dungeon had been a stronghold of darkness. Now it was a refuge for the survivors of Kakiriko. The Guard led Keith deeper and deeper into the darkness. Finally, Keith felt the path start to lead upward again. Eventually, they came to a heavy wooden door guarded by another two Guardians. When they saw Keith and his escort coming, they opened the door and ushered Keith inside, then closed the door behind him.

"So, you have finally come," Keith heard a voice say from his left. He turned and saw a figure bent over a small fire in a fireplace. The room looked like a typical cottage, but that wasn’t possible; they were underground, weren’t they?

"You are thinking, how can we be in a cottage if we are underground, are you not?" the figure turned to face Keith. He saw that it was an ancient woman, withered and venerable-looking. "I can’t read minds directly, but as the former Shadow Sage, I can hear the whispers of the shadows, and they are more perceptive than you would think. I am Impa. It is good to see you again, Keith."

"How do you know my name?" Keith asked her.

"It was I who delivered you, that fateful night, seventeen years ago," Impa replied. "Tell me, how is Sheik doing? I haven’t seen him since he escaped Hyrule with you."

He was kidnapped by Ganon," Keith answered gravely. That is why I have come; I was told to see you before confronting Ganon and rescuing Sheik."

When the old woman heard that Sheik had been captured, her face fell. "So, Sheik has finally fallen into Ganon’s hands. It is good that you have come. You must save Sheik. Only you can defeat Ganon."

With a confused look on his face, Keith asked, What do you mean, I am the only one who can defeat Ganon? What can I do that any other experienced warrior can’t?"

Impa looked right into his eyes and said, "only you can, because it is your destiny. With your arrival, the light of Hope has returned to Hyrule."

"I'm still confused."

Impa sighed. "Look out that window and tell me what you see."

Keith walked over to the window Impa was pointing at and threw it open. To his amazement, sunlight streamed into the room. They really were above ground. He tried to look out the window, but the sunlight blinded him. "I can't see anything," Keith replied. "The sun is too bright. It's light is everywhere."

Impa hobbled over to where he stood and looked out the window too. "That's the first time the sun has shone in seventeen years," she told him. "It is a good omen, a sign of hope. Now do you believe in your destiny?" Keith remained silent. "Well, I won't keep you from your quest. Just let me give you something before you go." Impa shuffled over to a large chest in the corner and pulled out a small object. She returned to Keith's side and placed it in his hand. He looked down and saw that it was a battered Ocarina.

"That's the Ocarina of Time," Impa told him. "It was used by Link, the Hero of Time, when he first defeated Ganon. It shall aid you in your quest and will show Ganon who you truly are."

Keith thanked her and turned to go. He stopped at the door and turned back to face her, and asked, "Wait, if you delivered me, then you must have known my parents. Please tell me! Sheik never told me, because he said that not knowing kept me safe."

Impa shook her head. "I cannot go against Sheik's wishes. All I can tell you is that your parents were very brave, and fought to the death to protect Hyrule, and to protect you. I guarantee that before your quest is over, you will know the full truth."

As he was led beck to the entrance of the temple, Keith lost himself in thought. His destiny? Only he could defeat Ganon? And what about this Ocarina? How could it make Ganon recognize him? These thoughts and many others swirled through his head as he walked back to the entrance.

Once back above ground, the guard gave him directions to Ganon's Castle. Keith learned that it stood where the old Hyrule Castle had once been. When he took over, Ganon leveled it and built his own fortress on the exact same site.

Keith walked for a while until he reached the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town. Ganon obviously had a thing for ruins. In the Town Square, ReDead zombies were stumbling around, moaning the moans of the dead. Keith quickly disposed of them before they could get him. He then continued towards Ganon's castle.

The castle was impressive, to say the least. It was the largest structure Keith had ever seen, and the whole thing was made of black granite, with spikes jutting out everywhere. However, Keith was not intimidated. He had to save Sheik, and no castle was going to stop him from his mission.

During the era of the Hero of Time, Ganon had protected his castle with an impassable gap, which Link had had to seek out the aid of the six Sages in order to cross. Now, after seventeen years of unrivaled dominance, Ganon had gotten cocky, and had a vast bridge connecting his castle to the land. He obviously was not expecting intruders, which was good for Keith. He took a deep breath, braced himself for whatever he might find inside, and then stepped into the darkness of Ganon's Castle.

The Spirit of a Hero—IV—The Hero Returns
DragonKnight19

It took Keith’s eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness inside Ganon’s Castle. The torches along the walls burned low, so it was darker than he was used to, and the torches threw long shadows across the floor. After passing the entrance room, Keith moved on to the inner entrance hall.

The next room was even less inviting than the first. It was just as dark, but two Iron Knuckles blocked Keith’s passage. As soon as they saw him coming, they started advancing on him slowly. Sheik had told Keith about these inhuman knights, so Keith was prepared. He slowly moved toward the closer one until it raised its axe over its head, and with a fierce battle cry, brought it down.

Keith dodged out of the way and swiftly struck back with his sword. He repeated this process a few more times, until the Iron Knuckle’s armor fell off. It rushed at Keith with newfound mobility, swinging its axe madly. Keith ducked and counterattacked. He struck at it a few more times until it fell. He repeated the process with the other one, taking advantage of his greater agility. Once the second one was defeated, Keith moved one step deeper into the castle.

Keith found himself in a room that was much larger than either of the previous two. There were three other doors in this room: a green one, a red one, and a blue one. As he explored each one in turn, he found a mini- dungeon behind each. Each mini-dungeon contained many puzzles for Keith to solve, and a tough enemy he had to face. Keith managed to conquer all three with no more than a few cuts and bruises. When he returned to the large central room, he noticed that something was different.

When he had first entered the large room, there were only four doors: the red, green and blue ones, and the exit. Now, there was a spiral staircase in the center of the room. Keith quickly ascended the stairs and proceeded to the second floor. At the top, he found a large ornate door fit for a king. This is it, Keith thought. Ganon’s in there. Time to make the bastard pay. He pushed open the door and entered Ganon’s throne room.

Keith strode into the throne room and was surprised to find it empty. The highly decorative throne sat at the far end of the room, unoccupied. On one side wall hung the broken shards of a sword, and on the other was a larger-than-life portrait of Ganon. “Where are you, Ganon?” Keith shouted. “Show yourself, coward!”

An evil laughter rang out through the room. “Just who do you think you are, kid, to sneak into my home, kill my minions, and hurl insults at me, the Great Ganon? You’ve got guts, kid. I hate guts.” All the torches in the room sputtered and went out, plunging Keith into complete darkness. In the darkness, two huge glowing red eyes appeared, floating in midair. They glared at Keith maliciously, then floated towards the center of the room, shrinking until they were the size of normal eyes. As they did so, all the shadows converged upon them, until the torches sputtered back to life, and a ball of complete darkness surrounded the eyes in the center of the room. The darkness started to form itself into the shape of a man, and Keith found himself face to face with the King of Evil.

“You must have a death wish, kid,” Ganon laughed. “You obviously don’t know just what you have gotten yourself into. You dare to raise a sword against me? There is only one sword that could ever harm me, and it is broken and hanging on my wall. I will crush you! You don’t even have a shield to protect yourself!”

“I don’t need a shield to defeat you, wizard,” Keith replied. “A shield is too cumbersome. Besides, I have this.” He pulled out the Ocarina of Time. “With this, I shall kill you for kidnapping my mentor, Sheik, and for murdering my parents.”

Ganon laughed. “Sheik? So this is the secret he has been harboring. That fool has been raising a hero to challenge me! If Link and Zelda couldn’t stop me, what chance do you have?”

“A better chance than you think.”

Ganon and Keith both turned to the door to see who had spoken. There stood Sheik, splattered in the blood of the Moblins who had been guarding his dungeon cell. “That’s right, Ganon,” Sheik said. “Link and Zelda couldn’t defeat you, but this boy shall succeed.”

“What makes you so sure?” Ganon sneered.

Sheik looked right at Keith and said, “Because he is the best of both of us.” He raised his hands, and a bright light engulfed his body. When the light receded, Sheik was no longer there, and where he had been, stood none other than Princess Zelda, no longer the headstrong teenager, but now a full-grown woman.

Ganon’s eyes went wide. “No, it can’t be,” he whispered. “You fell with your kingdom. How could you have survived?”

Zelda stared hatefully at Ganon, and replied, “That night you attacked, I escaped Hyrule with Keith,” Zelda said. “I adopted my old guise as Sheik, and have raised him to be the new hero. He shall defeat you, King of Evil, and restore peace to my kingdom.”

Ganon quickly regained his composure and said, “Maybe, but you won’t be around to see it.” He hurled a ball of dark energy at Zelda, but she couldn’t react in time.

“No! Mother!” Keith shouted, and dove into the path of the oncoming attack. It struck him in the chest and threw him into the far wall. The shards of the Master Sword became dislodged by the impact and rained down around Keith’s body.

Zelda started running toward her son’s motionless body, but Ganon leapt forward and grabbed her. “Where do you think you are going, Princess? Your hero is dead for a second time. Now its time to finish what we started, seventeen years ago.” The Triforce of Power suddenly appeared on the back of Ganon’s hand, and the Triforce of Wisdom on Zelda’s. “With the Triforce of Courage gone forever, and the Triforce of Wisdom soon in my possession, I shall soon be unstoppable! None shall oppose me!”

“Not if I can help it.” Now it was Ganon and Zelda’s turn to be surprised. They turned to where Keith had laid. He was standing again, an empty fairy jar in his hand.

“No matter,” Ganon laughed. “You cannot stop me, boy.”

“That’s what you think,” Keith replied, and held up his hand, where a triangle-shaped birthmark glowed brightly.

For the second time that day, Ganon’s eyes went wide. “NO! It cannot be! The Triforce of Courage! How! I killed Link myself! Unless...” He turned to Zelda. “Who is that boy’s father? Tell me!”

Zelda smiled. “I told you he embodied the best of both of us. Keith, your father is none other than Link, the legendary Hero of Time! You have the blood of a hero in your veins. Now fulfill your destiny and defeat Ganon!”

“Silence, woman!” Ganon screeched, and threw Zelda against the wall. She slumped to the ground and lay still. “NO!” Keith yelled, and hurled himself at Ganon. Ganon pulled out a broadsword of his own and parried Keith’s attack. He tried to counterattack, but Keith’s Sheikah training gave him the speed and agility to dodge it. He slashed Ganon across the stomach and elbowed him in the face. Ganon fell over, and Keith ran over to where Zelda had fallen. “Mom! Are you all right?” he asked. Her eyes fluttered open and looked at him.

“Keith,” she said weakly, “You can’t defeat Ganon like that. Only one thing can defeat him...” she slowly raised her arm and pointed towards the fallen shards of the Master Sword. “Take up the Master Sword, and it will reforge in your hand. You possess the Triforce of Courage, so the Master Sword and you are inseparably intertwined. Its fate is yours. So long as you live, it shall serve you. Now take it and finish your father’s work.” Keith ran over to the pile of shards and picked up the hilt. As his hand touched the handle, a mysterious tune started playing in his head. With his other hand, he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and started playing the tune. It was a slow, mysterious tune, which created an image of an age gone by. As he played, the broken shards started glowing, then rose from the ground and reforged themselves around the hilt, until the Master Sword was made anew.

“I’ll kill you before you get the chance to use that!” Ganon yelled. He rushed at Keith but Keith dodged out of the way. He stabbed Ganon in the side as he barreled past. The King of Evil bellowed in pain and swung his sword back at Keith, trying to decapitate him. Again Keith ducked and slashed Ganon across the chest. Suddenly, Ganon unleashed a wave of dark energy from his body. Keith got caught in it and was sent flying. He regained his balance and landed on his feet. He then charged Ganon and rammed his shoulder into the wizard’s gut. He doubled over, and Keith uppercutted him in the face, sending Ganon sprawling on the ground. Ganon tried to get up, but could only rise to one knee.

Keith stood face to face with him, and slashed Ganon’s face diagonally. “That’s for my dad,” he said. He slashed again, creating criss-crossing lines of blood across Ganon’s face. “That’s for my mom.” Keith raised the Master Sword high, and focused all his energy into it. “And this,” he said, “This is for me.” With all his strength, he rammed the Master Sword into Ganon’s face, through his skull and out the back of his head.

Ganon stood up, gripped his head in agony, and started reeling about the room. He collapsed to the ground at Keith’s feet, and he started to glow the same color as the Master Sword as his body slowly disintegrated. With his eyes brimming with hatred, he turned to look up at his foe and whispered, “Evil is merely the privation of goodness. As long as there is ill will in this world, I will return to wreak havoc upon Hyrule.” Keith gripped the Master Sword, still lodged in Ganon’s head, and replied, “And there will always be a hero who will rise up and stop you.” He wrenched the Master Sword free of Ganon’s skull, and Ganon screeched in pain as the disintegration completed. The King of Evil disappeared in a burst of light, permanently defeated. At the spot where his body had laid, a golden triangle hovered a few inches above the floor. It was the Triforce of Power.

Keith bent down and picked up the relic. He felt its power course through is body, and it disappeared in his hand. On the back of his hand, another golden triangle appeared next to the one already there. Suddenly remembering his mother, Keith ran over to where she lay. “Mom! He’s gone! I defeated Ganon!” he said excitedly. Zelda smiled up at her son.

“That’s great, son,” she said weakly. “I knew you could do it. I’ve been training you for seventeen years. Now that you have the Triforce of Courage and Power, I’m sure that you will lead Hyrule back into an age of peace and prosperity.” “What about you?” Keith asked. “You’re the rightful queen of Hyrule.” Zelda smiled again. “Don’t worry about me. I performed my duty: I raised you to be a fine young man who has now saved Hyrule. I couldn’t ask for a better son. I only wish that I could see you become a fine King.”

Realization suddenly dawned on Keith, and he exclaimed, “No, mom! You can’t die! Not now, after we just won! I’ve only just met you for the first time! Don’t leave me!” Zelda put her hand to Keith’s cheek and said, “I will never leave you, Keith. Your father and I will always be with you in your heart. You have to be strong, because all of Hyrule looks up to you. You are the light of hope to them; the descendant of the Royal Family and the legendary Hero of Time. You have saved them from Ganon’s evil clutches, now you must right his wrongs and restore Hyrule. Always remember to keep the balance between the forces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and you shall succeed. I love you, son.” Zelda gave one last sigh, and her hand fell limp at her side. For the first time in his life, Keith wept as he held his mother’s head in his lap, while the third and final golden triangle appeared on the back of his hand.

After Ganon’s defeat, Keith went on to lead Hyrule into a prosperous Golden Age. With the Triforces of Power, Wisdom and Courage combined into one, he was able to undo all of Ganon’s evils and bring peace back to the kingdom. The light of hope shone once again throughout Hyrule.

Keith had two shrines erected on either side of the Temple of Time. One was for his father, Link, the Hero of Time, who many times risked and even gave his life selflessly to protect Hyrule from Ganon and the forces of Evil. The other was dedicated to his mother, the beautiful Princess Zelda, whose wisdom had kept the light of hope from being extinguished forever. All of Hyrule came to pay homage to these two, and all others who had fallen under Ganon’s rule.

It is said, that at times, a fell wind blows out of the west, from the direction of the desert. Has good truly prevailed over evil? Or will evil once again return some day to wreak havoc once again? It matters not, for as long as their descendants keep alive the Legend of Zelda, there will always be a hero who will rise up and stop it.