Disclaimer: I don't own any thing related to The Legend of Zelda franchise.

A/N: I finally did it. The last chapter is right ahead. Enjoy!

Rise

Chapter 21: The Hero Rises

Link remained still in his bed for and undetermined amount of time, staring at the ceiling. He kicked off his sandals to the floor and Ilia's unopened gift was placed in the night table beside the bed. The sun was setting in and the temperature was beginning to drop down. The light emanating from the fireplace flames was the only thing that kept the house from being completely dark.

Two days had passed since he arrived to Ordon Village, two days without anything out of the ordinary. As requested by Fado, he took the day after arriving off, and he took the day to visit the others at the village. Everyone greeted him excited and he was more than happy to see them again.

He used the time to catch up with the village's happenings; Pergie's cat finally catching fish from the creek by its own, Talo's new head lump from his latest fall while playing, the mayor's plans for building some new houses and remodeling the ranch's stable for the goats, among other things. He also had the opportunity to share some time with the villagers by an outdoor fireplace they settled at night. The next day he went with Epona to the ranch to do their everyday job. Now he was laying on his bed, resting his body from the ranch's hard work and not because some hideous monsters tortured him and almost killed him.

Everything was good, just as it had always been, just as it was supposed to be.

It was clear to him that neither Rusl nor Uli mentioned nothing about his abduction or the attacks they suffered in the days they were absent from the village. He didn't request them to keep the topic in silence, but he knew that it would come out some day. Link was not sure yet, but that day was coming closer. And when they received the news that Ganondorf was on the loose once again, he would be gone.

Finally, he sat up and took the gift that he left unopened for those two days. He stared at it long enough to memorize every wrinkle in the box and to admire the red ribbon on top of it. Even in its simplicity, it looked like a present for a rich man or even for the king of a far away utopian kingdom. He shook it lightly as if trying to guess what was inside. He knew it was a cloth of something like that, since Ilia told him it was something about sewing. Still, the shaking tactic didn't work for him at all.

Cutting through the suspense, he retrieved the ribbon from the box and opened it. He frowned at first, but later he smiled radiantly. He grabbed it to take a better look at it. It was a tunic, smooth and unwrinkled. Its fabric was rough yet flexible to the movements, and the color was brilliant shade of red, like the color of strawberries. Or like rubies. He was about to tossed away the box when he noticed another item inside. He almost laughed out loud when he found out that the other piece of fabric left inside the box was actually a cap.

A tunic and a cap. Just like the attire he used years ago, with the slight difference that the old one was green, and that he lost part of it when he was held captive.

Brand new tunic. Brand new day to come.

And a brand new quest to embrace.

He put the attire on the bed, and stared at his back hand crest. It glowed dimly in the usual color trio. The Goddesses were wise and smart; They needed to remind him that their courageous Hero would not fight alone anymore, but deep inside him, he was too distracted and afraid to remember that.

In some way, Link knew that even when Ganondorf failed in killing him, he succeeded in showing him that he could raise more destruction and sorrow if he is ever gain Hyrule's control. The terror and pain that his minions inflicted to him by Ganondorf's orders were signs of the creatures' intact loyalty to the Dark Man. And Purlo's assassination was another reminder of what he was capable to do to his traitors. He couldn't imagine what he could do to an entire race.

Link loved the people he was raised with and the land he worked on, and he could not let this aberration of a man or any of his brainwashed minions to harm what he loves the most, let alone touch them. Now, more that ever, he would do anything to protect them.

Anything, even battling Ganondorf again.

The Triforce crest continued to glow in his hand. His mind brought back images his extended family; Rusl's family, Ilia and her father, Fado and the goats, the children... He thought about the others in the distant villages; Renado and his daughter, Barnes and his shop, the Goron tribe of Death Mountain, Prince Ralis and the Zora tribe, the numerous community living in the castle, and Princess Zelda.

Zelda. The Princess of Hyrule. His most powerful ally.

The Goddesses were more that right. He would never be alone. Never again. But still, some things can't wait. Evil does not wait. It was time to make a decision.

Link yawned tiredly. He sunk into his bed and his blankets and cleared his mind. He must be prepared in both mind and body for the new mission that was coming for him. It was inevitable that he must leave his home and friends again. But this time was for a reason, a reason that will assure everyone their safety and their peace.

Rusl opened the door of his house and greeted the dawn's light breeze by stretching and yawning at the top of his lungs. The village was still quite since everybody were clearly sleeping. He woke up some hours before his habitual wake up time, but he was in a very good mood. He felt so fine that he even planned to make breakfast and surprise both Uli and Colin by serving them their food in their beds.

He closed the door behind him and walked to his home porch. He frowned a little when he spotted a sealed envelope in one of the steps. He picked it up and examined it. The envelope was blank; nothing was written and had no name on it. But since he found it meticulously placed in front of his house, Rusl supposed the letter was directed to him or any member of his family. He just could not understand the reason for the anonymity.

He cautiously opened the envelope and retrieved the folded piece of paper from it. He unfolded the letter and read it. He read it only one time, but it was enough for him. In his gut, he was waiting for this day to come, but he didn't make himself anxious or dreaded for the wait. It was something that was out of his hands. He promised to himself that when the definitive sign finally come, he would accept it.

With the letter in his hand, he walked toward Link's house. When he arrived, the house and surroundings were silent and still. He felt so tempted to call Link out until he stopped at the empty spot and the tree house side. Epona was not there. He stood there, his face fixed and unemotional; it was no time to feel sorry or ecstatic. He came over Link's house for the answer to a question that was already given in the letter in his hands. He suddenly felt guilty for being so stubborn and not trusting his pupil in such defining moments. A second later, his heart dismissed the guilt and replaced it with pride.

He read the letter for the last time.

The time has come. I must leave. The Gorons will arrive shortly to guard the village. Please tell Mayor Bo about everything.

We will meet again, eventually.

A soft rumbling around the place made Rusl to turn his head to the forest trail. The rumpling increased rapidly, it sounded like a stampede in Rusl's ears.

Could it be…? He thought, and small shivers ran through his back. Was Ganondorf coming to the village? The possibility began to eat him alive. He could not let them destroy his home. Gods, we are not prepared… He must returned to the village and warn the others to find shelter and hide from the upcoming stampede.

But his face shone when instead of Ganondorf or any vile nightmares, a flock of rolling Gorons approached to Link's house site. Slowing their speed gradually, they halted and surrounded the lonely man standing over the dawning sky. Rusl offered a smile to the massive forms circling him. One Goron took a step forward.

"A human by a tree house, with a mustache… You must be Rusl," the Goron said.

"Yes, I am," Rusl nodded in half awe.

"The Hero was right. He knew you would be here." The Goron bowed to the human. "Patriarch Darbus sent us to guard Ordon Village and wait for orders from you and your tribe's patriarch."

Rusl looked surprised.

"Until the threat in Hyrule has been contained, we will assure that your kind living here will be safe from Ganondorf's minions" The Gorons stated and crossed his arms around his chest. The rest of the Gorons imitated him. "It is time."

Rusl deep breathed when he noticed he had been holding his breathe for no reason. He was amazed by Link's intellect. He planned it all accurately. The letter on his house steps; He knew he was coming to see him to his house. And not only that, he knew the exact time Rusl would arrive at his house, and it was right when the Gorons arrived. Link put the lead, and he followed it. He neither took it personal nor felt miserably outsmarted by his pupil, the Hero. In fact, he couldn't help but to smile wider.

He let himself to smile and to be carried away by the moment. Soon, the smiles and happy moments would be put in and indefinite halt for him and for his other friends in Hyrule Castle. Not to mention to the other tribes and places around Hyrule. The coming times will surely become more agitated and dense for everyone. But he was sure that Link would make whatever is in his hands to shorten those days as much as possible but, at the same time, taking whatever time is necessary to make things right.

Straightening up a little, Rusl gathered his warrior side and spoke to the Gorons. "Well, my friends, some rough times are coming up for us. But first things first: we must meet with Mayor Bo and filled him with the news. Then we will develop our defense plan in case of any occurrences."

With that said, Rusl walked thought the Gorons and headed toward the village. Immediately, the Gorons followed him, walking in a single line. Meanwhile, he began to mentally elaborate the speech-explanation he would say when he arrived at Mayor Bo's house. It was his duty.

The first time he came through the deepest part of the forest, the place was shaken by his presence. The invisible spirits that inhabited the place reacted wildly when he approached to the sacred blade. He remembered that a sudden strong breeze almost lifted his legs from the ground to take him to another forgotten section of the woods. Of course he then was bearing a curse upon his being, but the feeling of standing in the very same site woke up old but unforgettable feelings and memories.

This time was a little different. After retrieving the Master sword from the pedestal, the wind did not knocked him off balance. Instead, the breeze came soft and crisp, caressing his face, his hair, and his red attire all along its blowing. He closed his eyes, feeling comforted by the breeze. Dry leaves that fell from the tree danced with the wind.

When Link opened his eyes again, he raised the sword he gripped firmly in his left hand. He eyed it intently, not missing a single detail. The edged looked as sharp as he remembered, perhaps sharper. He watched the blue handle, the silver blade reflecting his stern face, the magical current that crawled from the sword and throughout his arm, and to the rest of his body along with his emotions.

The Master sword in his hands. Once again in his hands.

Two dry leaves were flying through the air and down his face when Link looked at them. In a blink, he swung the sword two times horizontally, cutting air and the two thin organic matters. Before they could reach the ground, the leaves were cut in four parts. He watched them touch the ground them, then to the blade once more. He grinned at how light it felt in his hand. It glowed with the essence of the Goddesses, as it always did.

After letting himself get into the emanating thrill that the Sacred Grove offered, he turned from the sword pedestal to resume his quest to defend Hyrule from evil, more determined than he ever remembered. He just walked a couple of steps before halting. His mind asked him how the figure that stood some meters away from him got into this part of the grove. But even as he stared at the same Ganondorf in the ruined frame beneath the steps lead to the Master Sword, Link's stern face did not falter by his presence. He dismissed the compulsion to assure himself of it, but to his mind and spirit it was not necessary. It was Ganondorf.

And no one else.

But something was not right. He had adopted the same posture of always, even in his dreams; arms crossed around his chest, a coal black armor enveloping his frame, and the same serious, angry expression in is face that Link was involuntarily getting used to. The only difference was that he looked somehow… transparent. Like a ghost. Link could see how the dirt swirls and flying dandelions passed through his form. It was him, but not really him standing there. Still, Link's expression never changed.

For a minute, both men remained silent, none of them moving. The sound of the trees and occasional bird chirping were the only noises swimming through the space.

"I knew you would come here," Ganondorf broke the silence. "After all, what is a Hero without his favorite weapon?" He added mockingly.

Link did not reply. He frowned a little when he noted that Ganondorf kept his distance between the two.

Maybe he cannot go any further… This place is sacred.

"Did you really think that this place was actually hidden from me? In fact, this place brings old memories to me, Hero." Ganondorf observed his surroundings. "In this place, I imprisoned the Hero of Time for daring to oppose me. But of course, the Goddesses favored him above, and They helped him come out and tried to vanish me. But here I am again, every single piece of me intact from Their prison and Their threats against me."

Link gripped the Master Sword involuntarily, listening to the dark man before him. Ganondorf was there for much more than a simple story telling chat. He embraced his patience and waited for him to strike first, if ever.

"You don't get enough of me, don't you, Hero?" The evil sorcerer raised his voice, his menace spitting out of his mouth along with his words.

He raised both his hands over his head and stretched his palms wide open. In an instant, clouds of black and purple mist began to swirl into his hands and in the air. Flashes of light and bolts emanated from the growing orb floating in his hands. The orb kept growing until it reached the size of a rock boulder.

Link kept his mind alert. Finally, what he was waiting for; his first strike.

"I will prevail, Hero!" Ganondorf shouted to the man dressed in red in the distance. "Don't you know I am not he same I used to be?!" Ganondorf screamed. He then threw the energy orb with all his might to the dreaded Hero, black magic flowing from the black ball.

Link's eyes glowed. It was coming with incredible speed toward him, reflecting his nightmares and tortures in the dark orb, sending his own strength and the strength of an army of DarkNuts.

His Trifoce crest glowed intensely. The Master Sword charged up. The Goddesses spoke to him. His mind raced a million miles per hour…

My village: Epona, Rusl, Uli, Ilia…

The Goron tribe: Darbus, the Elders, Renado, Luda…

My friends: Auru, Shad, Ashei, Princess Zelda…

For them.

This is for you.

Not even the velocity and might of the attack could hold back his instinct of survival and conviction. As the ball approached him, Link swung the sacred blade two times. In an instant, the ball shattered at the mere touch of his sword, sending the energy chards away from him and back to its master.

The chards flied past through Ganondorf ghostly frame and crashed on a stone wall behind him, causing the collapsing of the upper part. The falling debris lifted dust and cracked the silence that otherwise reigned the Sacred Grove. Ganondorf watched as his magic attack was destroyed by Link and bounced back against him. His own source. Against him. Unforgivable.

Ganondorf looked back at Link. He was standing in the same spot, in the same posture as when he first encountered him. It felt like the Hero repelled his attack just by the power of his glance. It disturbed him. That was not the same Hero he ordered to kill in a number of occasions. He was different.

So, you are no the same, huh? Link thought.

"Me either," He said soundly, loud enough just for Ganondorf to hear him.

"We will meet again, Hero." Ganondorf spat unemotionally. His image dissolved gradually until if it disappeared completely.

"Surely will, monster." Link whispered as he sheathed his sword. "Surely will."

Breathing deeply and with steady steps, he walked away from the Master Sword chamber. The glow in his hand crest diminished to a soft glint. Although this new encounter with Ganondorf surely got his adrenaline to pump up through his system, the aftermath left him feeling relieved. He did not feel tired or wounded in any way. The looked down to his hands and watched intently, then he touched his red clothes' fabric. He felt renewed and full of energy. Afraid to nothing. Afraid to no one. Not even to Ganondorf, for he was sure that his judgment day was drawing near.

The cards were already played. The right people were already contacted. It is time.

The threat is there. The quest is on. And the Hero is more than ready. It is his time to rise.

.:: THE END ::.

A/N: Well people, this is it. Just like it planned from the very beginning. I just hope this chapter doesn't look too much hurried (as I feel it was). I may have left a little space for a sequel since I never concreted any "real" confrontations between my beloved Link and Ganondorf. But c'mon people, in a battle between both of them, who do you think will win, huh? :P

I want to thank all those courageous readers who dared to read my story through all the misspellings and other "horrors" I let slip in every chapter.

Many thanks to those who comment on the story and added it to their favorite/alert list. Many sugar cookies for all of you.

Special thanks to Seldavia and yaoi-midnight-mistress; whose comments and criticism encouraged me to keep going on and to correct and improve my amateur writing skills. Someday I'll bake a cake for both of you :)

Thank you for reading! Until next time…