Falling from Grace

By Perfect Soldier 01

Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Zelda belongs to those clever people at Nintendo, not me. But I'm changing the end battle slightly to suit the story better. :D

AN: I know nearly every story starts with the end of OoT, but I really need this bit here. Sorry! I promise the next chapter will actually become more original ^_^;;

Chapter 1: Farewell

Zelda's POV

I didn't know how long it had been. Trapped inside a crystal, not knowing time or space. The days didn't change here, and time seemed to have frozen. The satanic organ playing below had become part of the incessant droning that surrounded me. The sickly yellow walls and stained windows was the only visible thing I could see in my blurred, lazy vision. Yet below me dwelled the darkest of all creations and the most evil of minds. I didn't know why I was so calm or so complacent.

My mind wondered as I waited, and I remembered this kind of imprisonment once before. Unconsciously trapped inside a Sheikah's body, continually running from the evil in the world, I remembered I had begun to lose hope in the world. Everyday I was travelling, on the road, across deserts and through forests, into unknown kingdoms and places so familiar to me I walked on without thinking.

'He'll never come. . .' I always thought to myself. Everyday now that thought would have been wondering into my mind, and I had always try to push it away, reassuring myself with a dying hope that one day I would see that forest boy in green clothing again, and he would save my kingdom of darkness from Gannondorf's clutches.

I had failed as a princess, and as the future ruler of my country. I had made this disaster worse than it ever could have been, and one man had lost nearly everything because of me. Link had lost his childhood, his forest friends. . .everyone he needed was gone. . .

But suddenly I awoke from my daydream as the huge golden doors below me unbuckled, and the hope I had inside me rekindled and blazed with pride. Those familiar green Kokiri clothes, and the wondering fairy trailing behind the one man who would save us all, brought tears of relief to my eyes. He had come to save me. Link was there standing below me, courage and determination burning in his eyes. I scrambled forward and banged my fists on the glass, but neither man underneath me turned their heads in distraction. Gannondorf stopped playing, and turned to face his nemesis, and almost immediately the battle had begun.

I watched from above, nearly every emotion racing through my mind as Link struck the dark energy back and forward. It seemed to go on forever, but finally that fatal blow came, and Gannondrof collapsed in defeat. My crystal prison lowered itself to the floor and as the wall vanished I greeted Link with a smile, tears tugging at my eyes. For a moment I forgot everything and I ran into Link's chest, letting my tears fall.

"I'm so glad you're ok." I whispered. My hands shook from anxiety and relief, and my body felt weak from watching the battle.

"Zelda. . ." But little did I know that the worst of the chaos was yet to come. The floor beneath out feet began to shake and at once a pulled away, startled by what was happening. I looked at Link and he understood what we needed to do. He took the lead and ran towards a steep stairway on the side of the crumbling castle and I followed him. Through the decaying towers we ran as a team, Link banishing the monsters left in our wake, and myself opening the sealed doors with my magic. Fires and collapsing walls and ceilings blocked our paths, but we could see the light from the entrance shining before us and we ran towards our salvation. But a piece of the ceiling suddenly fell before me, and I tripped over the rock and fell, slamming myself into the cold, hard stone floor. The fires behind us were eating away at the carpet, and I could see Link far ahead of me. I called out to him in pain as I tried to stand up, but I only fell to the floor again. Link's faerie Navi turned around as tears of defeat and panic washed over me.

"Link!" she shouted to him, and immediately he saw me lying on the floor, reaching out to him with my hand.

"Zelda! Hold on, I'm coming!" I could see him run to me, but the smoke from the fires was making it harder and harder to see anything. I coughed from the fumes and felt the heat creep closer to me with every passing second. Out of nowhere came a pair of strong arms and soon I felt the air rush into my lungs. I looked up and saw Link's ashy face. My ankle throbbed in step he ran, but I held it back. I wanted to be brave, like Link.

Link ran out of the castle just as the last wall burst from the pressure, and the whole castle crumbled into sea of lava it had been suspended over. The desolate land around the once beautiful castle of Hyrule lay barren and bare, with the remaining rubble creating a blockage beside us.

"Are you ok?" Link asked with concern as he set me down on my feet.

"I'm fine." I said through clenching teeth. The pain was dying now, or perhaps I was just used to the stinging of my swollen ankle. He raised a hand and rested it on my shoulder, and looked at me. I couldn't break his gaze and felt my heart jump as he asked me so many questions through his eyes.

A loud bang snapped us both from our dream, and the rubble exploded outwards, flying in all directions and there floated my worst fear. My eyes widened and I thought my heart had stopped completely. Gannondorf's flame red hair blew in the wind, his glowing eyes shone in the darkness, and his heavy, laboured breathing could be heard from where I was standing.

Link stepped in front of me protectively, guarding me from any attacks. Gannondorf yelled in fury and light began to emit from all parts of his torn and bleeding body. He grew and mutated into a huge, screaming beast, no longer having the power of speech or control. This was his true form. This was Ganon.

I saw Link nod to his faerie, and take a small glance behind him towards me. "Come back to me. . ." I whispered in the darkness.

"I promise." He said to me, and those words filled me with faith and belief. I knew he would protect this broken and fallen world, and I knew that he would protect me as well. A circle of fire sprung up from the dry earth and trapped the two. I knew Link would win, but that confidence soon dissolved as Link received blow after blow, and every minute more tears were flowing down my cheeks in worry and fear. Blood now seeped through to the back of Link's tunic, and his speed was decreasing with every turn he took. His arrows were dwindling in his quiver and the darkness blinded him from aiming accurately.

I thought it was all over when the Master Sword was flung out of Link's hand, over the wall of fire that surrounded the two warriors. 'What can he do without a sword?' I thought to myself anxiously. I heard him scream in rage as his hands bled. But Navi flew to his side, shining her light as Link drew another sword, this one even bigger. Again he plunged into battle with what seemed a renewed confidence. The time came for Ganon's power to at last weaken and the firewall lowered.

"Link! The Master Sword!" I shouted to him with all the energy I had left in me. As the King of Evil fell to the ground exhausted, Link dashed from the site, and retrieved the sword that would win him the battle. "Good luck Link. . ." I said handing him the sword. He smiled as me, but his breath was heavy and his body weak from fighting. I held his hand in both of mine.

"You can win Link. . .I know you can. I. . .I love you. . ." I whispered, a fresh wave of tears falling from my eyes. I squeezed his hand, looking away, not wanting to see his reaction. If he were to die, I couldn't bear knowing that he didn't know how I much I loved him.

He put his hand quickly on my cheek, causing me to look up at him. He smiled again, and ran back to his unfinished battle. I smiled slightly, happy that he knew now. I fell to my knees as I watched the last few strokes of Link's blade pierce Ganon's thick, dark flesh. I began whispering; calling the sages from the heavens, knowing the time was soon when the King of Evil would be sealed away forever. I saw Link deliver the last, final blow and I shouted towards the skies, calling upon the sages to seal away Ganon from this world, never to set foot here again.

At once a light shone from the heavens, piercing the dark storm clouds, and light enveloped us, blocking all possible vision. When my eyes opened again, the black skies had disappeared, grass grew on the earth, and trees were flourishing from the barren land. I saw Link's fallen body, and I rushed over to him, cradling his head in my lap. I felt his strong heart under my hand and I sighed in relief. He was still alive, but several places in his body were still bleeding from the final battle. I spread out my hands, hovering over his torso, and let my magic heal his wounds. A warm glow emanated from his body and his eyes fluttered open as strength seeped back into him.

"Welcome back." I said. Link tried to move, but found that his body still ached despite my healing. "Stay still for a moment. You're still tired." I said soothingly. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes for a while. "Look what you've done," I said quietly, not wanting to disturb him. "You've restored this land, and you've stopped Ganon. Everyone will be really proud of you." His blue eyes opened and he slowly sat up, the expressions of battle erased from his face. But he knew it and I knew it that no one would be there to congratulate him, or thank him for saving our kingdom.

"Link. . .I. . ." I began.

"I know," he said sounding reluctant. "Does it have to be like this?" he said, the blue ocarina in his gloved hand. I nodded, trying to fight back the tears. "Why?" I said turning around, more forcefully. "Why can't I stay here?" I didn't answer for a while and I looked down at the grass beneath us. Suddenly he took me in his arms, the ocarina dropping to the ground, and turned me around to face him. He wore a stubborn look in his eyes, and his hands held my shoulders fast.

"I don't know. . .I can't let you stay. You've.you've missed so much. . .I. . .I can't take that away from you."

"I don't care!" he insisted.

"Link. . .you must. You know you must," I paused. "Give me the ocarina Link." I said, trying to sound firm. He let go of one shoulder and picked up the blue Ocarina of Time without his eyes straying from mine. He suddenly pulled me to him in a tight embrace.

"I'll find you again. You wait. I'll find you." He said quietly into my hair.

"I know." I lied. Never again would he see this world or me as it was now. He would live in his own time, before the darkness shadowed Hyrule. Princess Zelda would have no reason to see or even know Link, the saviour of her kingdom. No one would know the boy who saved their world.

"Good bye Link," I managed to choke out as I forced myself away from his warmth. I placed the ocarina against my lips and began to play, letting my tears fall free. My fingers shook from the pain of saying the final goodbye to the one I loved. The tune was uneven, but I closed my eyes, not wanting to see my lover float away from me, into the realms of time and space, away from my grasp.

When I opened my eyes again, long after I had stopped playing, no one was there. No green clothes, or bouncing faerie. Just me, sitting in the grass, droplets of water streaming down my face. The realisation of loneliness suddenly hit me as a cold wind blew past me, making me shiver. I cried aloud, mourning the death of Link from this world. He was dead to us now and nobody would be any the wiser, except for me.